Iowa inventor helps disabled

A 68-year-old man from Johnston, Iowa, is in Pittsburg today, hoping to find an investor for his invention. Dean Johnson is attending the “Invention and New Product Exposition,” showing off a wheelchair he designed for a friend who had Multiple Sclerosis.Johnson says the chair elevates so the occupant can reach kitchen counters, and even items in upper cupboards. It lowers so the wheelchair can fit under the dinner table, and the wheelchair seat also tips to help an occupant stand. The chair’s most unique feature, though, is its width. It’s smaller than normal wheelchairs which do not fit through standard 24-inch door frames.Johnson describes himself as a life-long tinkerer, and already has a dozen patents to its name. Johnson calls his invention “The Care Chair” and he has filed papers to get a patent for it.