It began with a simple question:
How could wheelchair passengers be safely secured in vehicles?
This question was answered by a team of students and specialists at Queens University in Ontario, Canada during the 1970's (that's why there is a crown in our corporate logo).
Their research demonstrated that wheelchair passengers have very unique safety needs, and led them to develop the world's first fully integrated 4-point wheelchair passenger securement system. Q'Straint was the first to introduce this innovative system to the global transportation industry.
Now, a quarter century later, Q'Straint continues to build on this tradition of innovation by developing the world's highest quality, most progressive wheelchair passenger safety solutions for public and private transportation.
Q'Straint Milestones
| 1984 – | Q'Straint is established when Queen's University licenses its integrated 4-point wheelchair passenger securement system and Q'Straint introduces the system to the marketplace. Q'Straint's first office opens in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. |
| 1985 – | Q'Straint is the first securement company to apply the "sled test" for testing automotive safety belts to wheelchair passenger securement systems. |
| 1987 – | Q'Straint's global reach expands with the establishment of a local distributor in Queensland, Australia. |
| 1991 – | Q'Straint is asked by NHTSA to contribute its expertise, testing and real world experiences to the development of wheelchair transportation regulation related to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). |
| 1993 – | Q'Straint opens an office in Whitstable, United Kingdom to meet the growing international demand throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. |
| 1996 – | Q'Straint becomes the first and only wheelchair securement company to earn ISO 9000 registration. |
| 1997 – | Q'Straint relocates its North American headquarters to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving North and South America. A sales and distribution center remains in Cambridge, Ontario, providing local service to the Canadian market. |
| 1999 – | Q'Straint develops and introduces the world's first self-tensioning, self-locking wheelchair passenger securement system. |
| 2004 – | Q'Straint's products are used in para-transit vehicles at the Athens Paralympic Games. |
| 2005 – | Q'Straint UK earns the "Investor in People" designation in recognition of its commitment to training and personnel development, and its understanding of the importance of these aspects to achieving its mission. |
| 2007 – | Q'Straint UK earns the prestigious Queen's Award for International Trade, recognizing its significant growth in exports to over 40 countries. |
| 2008 – | Q'Straint's products are used in para-transit vehicles at the Beijing Paralympic Games. |
| 2009 – | Q'Straint celebrates 25 years in business. |
