Wheelchair/Adaptive Tai Chi Chuan Program Description

Based on years of research and teaching, Dr. Zibin Guo, a professor of medical anthropology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, developed the Wheelchair/Adaptive Tai Chi  Chuan program in 2006. He led the Wheelchair/Adaptive Tai Chi Chuan introduction at the 2008 Paralympics held in Beijing, China. Since then, the program was premiered in the Paralympics and gained recognition for its applications and positive impacts in promoting fitness participation among populations with ambulatory disability. The Wheelchair/Adaptive Tai Chi program has been recognized by many medical/rehab and disability communities around the world.

“We’re not just promoting Tai Chi as fitness … rather it is tool of empowerment” Dr. Zibin Guo

A key feature of The Wheelchair/Adaptive  program is its integration of wheelchair motions with the flowing movements of Tai Chi to transform the wheelchair from an assistive device to a tool of empowerment and artistic expression. The Wheelchair/Adaptive Tai Chi Chuan program transforms the wheelchair from a symbol of disability to a tool of empowerment. Key features of this innovative program include the combination of wheelchair motion (the rolling and turning of the chair) with the dynamic, gentle and flowing movements of Tai Chi Chuan, which promote fitness among people who use wheelchairs. In conjunction with calming music, the practice of these movements can yield positive impacts on depression and PTSD. This feature makes the practice of Tai Chi a more attractive sport activity that transforms the wheelchair from an assistive device to a tool of empowerment and artistic expression.