Portland, Oregon: The Braun Corporation, the leading manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vehicles and wheelchair lift systems, recently honored Performance Mobility with the Customer 1st Award. The award recipients were selected based on customer survey results over the course of 2010.
Performance Mobility has been serving the transportation needs of individuals with limited mobility in the Portland, OR market for almost 20 years. The people at Performance Mobility are dedicated to improving lives by helping individuals achieve their greatest level of independence and quality of life with accessible transportation solutions. In addition to wheelchair accessible vans from BraunAbility, Performance Mobility offers sales and service of new and pre-owned accessible vans, wheelchair and scooter lifts, turning automotive seating, hand controls and high tech driving aids.
BraunAbility has over 200 dealer locations nationwide, and each is staffed with mobility experts who are trained to evaluate the individual needs of customers. In addition, most locations offer 24-hour roadside emergency assistance, so customers have the assurance of support and service for their BraunAbility wheelchair accessible vehicle, even in the middle-of-the-night or on a holiday weekend.
"Our customers rely on their dealers to provide a sales and service experience that addresses their unique needs," says Braun President Nick Gutwein. "These dealers have gone above and beyond in meeting their customers' needs and building life-long relationships with them."
For more information about Performance Mobility visit www.PerformanceMobility.com Visit www.braunability.com for more information about BraunAbility wheelchair vans and lift systems.
About The Braun Corporation
The Braun Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vans, ramps, and wheelchair lift systems. These products enable persons with physical disabilities to regain mobility and lead active and independent lives. The Indiana-based company was founded by Ralph Braun, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at a young age and unable to walk by age 15. Ralph was motivated by his disability to invent the world’s first electric scooter (the Tri-Wheeler) and wheelchair lift (the Lift-A-Way) in his parents' garage. Word spread and demand for the product increased, resulting in the birth of Save-A-Step Manufacturing, which ultimately became The Braun Corporation. The company, via the BraunAbility brand, offers the most diverse model lineup in the industry, including the most popular minivan models from Dodge, Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota. For more information about the Braun Corporation or our outstanding line of wheelchair accessible vehicles, please visit www.braunability.com.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Welcome Dan Leinen as Adaptive AutoMobility's New Service Advisor
Adaptive AutoMobility is proud to announce Dan Leinen as our new Service Advisor. Coming from a mobility dealer in Iowa in the management and production end of the mobility industry, Dan brings a wealth of industry specific knowledge and expertise to our Service Department. Dan has over 10 year's experience and holds training certifications from BraunAbility, Vantage Mobility International and EMC high tech driving applications. And being a fan and tinkerer of 4x4 off-road vehicles, Dan truly knows his way around a vehicle and will be an incredible asset to all our great customers. Dan has been with us for a month now and he seems like a veteran already. Welcome Dan and his fiancee Sarah, who are very excited by all the great people they have met so far. They look forward to making Colorado home for many years to come!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The 2010 Pediatric DME Expo and Symposium
Written By: Maury Mills (Colorado Springs Office of Adaptive AutoMobility)
The 2010 Pediatric DME Expo and Symposium was held at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum on Saturday, October 2nd and it was a great success. There were many booths representing a vast array of different providers to the disabled community. The exhibits were very informative for participants and the museum was a lot of fun for kids and adults a like. The attendees of this special event included children with disabilities and their families as well as doctors, physical therapists and other individuals from the medical field. The professional in attendance were at the symposium to share new information and learn about the different topics addressing children with disabilities.
The event was organized by Variety of Colorado and the Kids Mobility Network who did a fantastic job bringing together all these different companies and non-profit organizations to educate the public on the wide range of durable medical equipment. Adaptive AutoMobility mobility consultants Maury Mills and Dennis Bossman were there to answer questions and demonstrate wheelchair accessible vans to children and parents in attendance. A lot of the families were amazed by how easy it was to use the automatic ramp system to go in and out of the wheelchair accessible vehicle with a power or manual chair.
The event was a great success, fun and informative at the same time. All the attendees got to see a very remarkable museum with enormous, historical airplanes surrounding the event. There were symposiums through out the day on different topics such as the importance of selecting the right wheelchair. There were tons of very cute kids zooming around in the chairs really enjoying the event as well. There were special stations sets up for the kids to allow their mom or dad to spend time speaking to the exhibitors and providers that were present. The Pediatric DME Expo and Symposium will be growing each year with more support and information for attendees. It is a great event which all of us at Adaptive AutoMobility are very much looking forward to next year!
The 2010 Pediatric DME Expo and Symposium was held at the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum on Saturday, October 2nd and it was a great success. There were many booths representing a vast array of different providers to the disabled community. The exhibits were very informative for participants and the museum was a lot of fun for kids and adults a like. The attendees of this special event included children with disabilities and their families as well as doctors, physical therapists and other individuals from the medical field. The professional in attendance were at the symposium to share new information and learn about the different topics addressing children with disabilities.
The event was organized by Variety of Colorado and the Kids Mobility Network who did a fantastic job bringing together all these different companies and non-profit organizations to educate the public on the wide range of durable medical equipment. Adaptive AutoMobility mobility consultants Maury Mills and Dennis Bossman were there to answer questions and demonstrate wheelchair accessible vans to children and parents in attendance. A lot of the families were amazed by how easy it was to use the automatic ramp system to go in and out of the wheelchair accessible vehicle with a power or manual chair.
The event was a great success, fun and informative at the same time. All the attendees got to see a very remarkable museum with enormous, historical airplanes surrounding the event. There were symposiums through out the day on different topics such as the importance of selecting the right wheelchair. There were tons of very cute kids zooming around in the chairs really enjoying the event as well. There were special stations sets up for the kids to allow their mom or dad to spend time speaking to the exhibitors and providers that were present. The Pediatric DME Expo and Symposium will be growing each year with more support and information for attendees. It is a great event which all of us at Adaptive AutoMobility are very much looking forward to next year!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Dennis Bossman Joins Wheelchair Accessible Van Providers Adaptive AutoMobility
Denver, CO (Vocus) September 3, 2010
Dennis Bossman joined the Adaptive AutoMobility team in Denver, Colorado. Dennis has a well-earned reputation in the community for excellence in customer service and expertise in the application of adaptive equipment in all types of vehicles.
Dennis has been a wheelchair user for the last 26 years and is an invaluable asset in understanding the needs and wants of the disabled community. Dennis' job entails working with customers, driver trainers, therapists, families and third party payers providing appropriate adaptive equipment to meet the transportation needs of disabled clients.
"Dennis is uniquely qualified to serve his customers with his many years of experience working for a durable medical equipment company and an automotive mobility company," Kevin Durban of Adaptive AutoMobility said.
Before joining the Adaptive AutoMobility team, Dennis worked at a durable medical equipment company for nine years, fitting and supplying manual and power wheelchairs and other equipment for users. In 2003, he ventured into the wheelchair van business and leveraged his considerable knowledge of wheelchairs to help people get the best solution for their vehicle needs.
"The high end rehab training/wheelchair sales experience from my previous employment has helped with understanding the complete fitting process of matching the proper chair to the person and the best combination of the person with their chair to van needs," Dennis said. "It's like a puzzle with people and wheeled mobility. It can be a juggling act sometimes, pleasing all parties concerned with the purchase of a van and/or other adaptive equipment."
About Adaptive AutoMobility:
To find out more about Adaptive AutoMobility of Denver, Colorado, visit the company at http://www.AdaptiveAuto.com/. Adaptive AutoMobility has a 21 year history of providing handicapped individuals with custom mobility solutions to meet their transportation needs.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Visit With a Mobility Consultant to Find Your Best Wheelchair Van
Shopping for your mobility van is an exciting experience. Wheelchair vans can offer you an incredible amount of freedom. One of the biggest advantages of owning a wheelchair accessible minivan is the freedom to go where you want, when you want. As a passenger, you are no longer dependent on public transport or awkward transfers to a vehicle that has not been converted. If you are a driver, hand controls can be installed allowing you to take the wheel and be completely independent.
You will be able to browse the different vehicles that are available online and find something that matches with your aesthetic sensibilities and personal needs. With dozens of different van conversions and models available, you should be able to find a vehicle that is just right for you.
The first step to finding the best solution for your situation is to contact one of our Certified Mobility Consultants to ensure that shopping is done with as little stress as possible. Mobility Consultants have extensive training from the manufacturers of wheelchair accessible vans and will ensure that your needs are evaluated thoroughly in order to arrive at the perfect fit for your situation.
Visit our online inventory of wheelchair accessible vans 24 hours a day at http://www.adaptiveauto.com
Contact one of our Mobility Consultants today!
Adaptive Auto Mobility ’s Certified Mobility Consultants are committed to your satisfaction and an easy, pressure-free buying process. Please give us a call or stop on in to see how we can help.
Denver: 303-288-0140
Colorado Springs: 719-590-1400
You will be able to browse the different vehicles that are available online and find something that matches with your aesthetic sensibilities and personal needs. With dozens of different van conversions and models available, you should be able to find a vehicle that is just right for you.
The first step to finding the best solution for your situation is to contact one of our Certified Mobility Consultants to ensure that shopping is done with as little stress as possible. Mobility Consultants have extensive training from the manufacturers of wheelchair accessible vans and will ensure that your needs are evaluated thoroughly in order to arrive at the perfect fit for your situation.
Visit our online inventory of wheelchair accessible vans 24 hours a day at http://www.adaptiveauto.com
Contact one of our Mobility Consultants today!
Adaptive Auto Mobility ’s Certified Mobility Consultants are committed to your satisfaction and an easy, pressure-free buying process. Please give us a call or stop on in to see how we can help.
Denver: 303-288-0140
Colorado Springs: 719-590-1400
Friday, July 16, 2010
Twenty Years of ADA
Aimee Wehmeier, the director of Services for Independent Living, waits Thursday for her assistant, Lindsay Pike, in the parking lot of Les Bourgeois Winery. Wehmeier was born with muscular dystrophy and has used a wheelchair her entire life. To get around, she uses a wheelchair accessible van and a 350-pound motorized wheelchair.
Aimee Wehmeier remembers maneuvering her motorized wheelchair out of a local grocery store about five years ago when a man in the parking lot gave her a quarter. She was puzzled by his action and asked what the quarter was for.
"To help you," he replied.
She laughs about it even now, joking about what practical use a quarter is for anyone - in or out of a wheelchair.
Wehmeier, who has muscular dystrophy and has been in a wheelchair her entire life, certainly wasn't raised to put her hand out to depend on an occasional quarter for sustenance.
"My mom told me, 'You better get a good job because you'll never wait tables,'" she recalled. So, taking Mom's advice, she left St. Charles after graduating from Francis Howell North High School in 1989 and moved to Columbia that summer.
It was one year before then-President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. ADA was considered the most comprehensive policy statement ever made regarding civil rights for people with disabilities.
The ADA law marks its 20th anniversary later this month, and the local Services for Independent Living office turned 30 this summer. It seems almost fitting that SIL staff have coordinated a 12-day anniversary celebration from July 21 through Aug. 1, from adaptive sports competitions and public forums to a presentation at Ragtag Cinema and a disability pride parade on July 24.
"We wanted to do a celebration," said Wehmeier, the executive director of SIL since October 2006. The single-event celebration became multiple events, then a week, then nearly two weeks long.
"It just kept growing and growing. It's just amazing," Wehmeier said. She paused briefly, repeating her mother's advice about getting a good job. "It's pretty amazing to me to have a job that is also my life."
The Americans with Disabilities Act was designed to create equality and access in three key areas for people with disabilities. Title I of the act addresses employment for individuals with a disability. Advocates of the law say a common misperception, however, is the cost of making reasonable accommodations, even though most of the accommodations - such providing elevated work stations - are less than $250.
Title II of the ADA refers to state and local government accessibility provisions. Public schools are subject to Title I for employment purposes and Title II with regard to programs, services, activities and physical access. Children who rarely participated in mainstream education before the law are now required to be educated in the least restrictive environment.
Title III refers to private, nongovernmental entities and not-for-profit services operating places of "public accommodation." Businesses governed by Title III include restaurants, supermarkets, lawyers' and doctors' offices, banks, shopping centers, privately owned sports arenas, movie theaters, private day care centers, hotels, accountant or insurance offices, museums and health clubs.
Some examples of ADA requirements include having accessible parking spaces, doorways, hallways, bathrooms and counters.
The senior President Bush called the ADA legislation "a sledgehammer" to the walls that had separated Americans with disabilities from freedoms that were not previously accessible to them.
Whether the walls of exclusion have all "come tumbling down," as the president announced, is open to debate.
"To most people, ADA is just putting up a ramp," said Wehmeier. "I don't think that's changed a lot."
But the ADA isn't just about people in wheelchairs or installing a wheelchair accessible ramp. There are other accommodation and accessibility issues. Wehmeier pointed out that Columbia has no movie theater that offers captioning for deaf people. It's also rare to find a doctor's office that has interpreters for the hearing-impaired.
And not all accommodations are a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, providing print information in Braille might be effective for one person who is blind; however, not all people who are blind read Braille. For another person who is blind, an audio recording might be more effective.
"There's still a lot of work to do," she said.
Troy Balthazor, the public information officer for the Great Plains ADA Center, headquartered at 100 Corporate Lake Drive in Columbia, pointed out that "a great number" of publicly funded facilities still do not meet ADA standards.
General, physical access to buildings and public environments, such as playgrounds and sidewalks, is at the top of Balthazor's list for ADA compliance still needed.
"A lot of changes have been made, and newly constructed facilities tend to be much more accessible to all people than they were prior to the ADA," he said.
While private businesses generally are not required to meet all ADA requirements unless they construct new facilities or host public meetings, state and local governments don't have that option. All programs and services of government agencies must be accessible to everyone. Removing "readily accessible barriers" in both public and private environments is the bottom line of the ADA.
Great Plains is promoting the "2010 in 2010" campaign, which is trying to get 2,010 public entities, private businesses and other organizations to sign a proclamation of recommitment "to full implementation" of the ADA.
The proclamation has been signed by dozens of Missouri organizations and officials, including Gov. Jay Nixon, Columbia Mayor Bob McDavid, local hospitals, the Boone County Commission, the city of Centralia and others, including private businesses.
But not everyone has warmed up to the proclamation of recommitment.
"Plenty of entities have not wanted to sign it," Balthazor said, declining to identify the counties or cities that have opted not to join the proclamation. He thinks the fear of being held to a higher standard might dissuade some from signing.
"The law's been out there 20 years," he said. "It's disappointing when entities don't sign."
The ADA Center is among nearly a dozen organizations involved in planning the local ADA anniversary celebration. SIL community relations coordinator Becky Stewart has worked to put together a jam-packed week of events.
A disability pride parade is set for 11 a.m. July 24 beginning and ending at the Courthouse Square in downtown Columbia. Other events take place throughout the community. A full schedule is available at www.thompsoncenter.missouri.edu/ada/ada.html.
Services for Independent Living provide support and services to seven counties, including Boone, Callaway and Randolph. SIL's programs include peer support groups, a residential ramp project for income-eligible consumers, transportation services, housing information, in-home services and legislation advocacy.
More than half of staff and board of directors members are people with disabilities who have personally experienced social and physical barriers associated with disability. The organization receives funding through the United Way.
Wehmeier is often the face of the organization as well as the community when it comes to people with disabilities.
"I think my purpose is to make people more comfortable" with dealing with people with disabilities, she said. "I feel like my gift is working on barriers. Sometimes it takes a lot of smiles, a lot of energy, a lot of first handshakes."
Just don't mistake her easy-going demeanor for a lack of passion. Wehmeier has thrived in the job market, for instance, but she knows that is the exception for many wheelchair-bound workers.
"The most qualified candidate doesn't always get the job," Wehmeier said. "That hasn't changed" since the adoption of the ADA. "To me, that's a huge barrier."
Wehmeier, 39, attended MU and received a degree in educational and counseling psychology. She later earned a master's degree in business administration. Before taking the top spot at SIL, she worked 10 years at State Farm Insurance, where she wore a variety of hats, including claims representative and supervisor. Another duty was representing State Farm on SIL's board of directors.
"For me, I have been able to work since I was 18 years old," Wehmeier said. "That is not the story for most people."
She also owns her home, complete with a roll-in shower, zero-entry doors and other features necessary for her to live as independently as possible. But independence begins with employment, she stressed.
"That affects every aspect of disability," said Wehmeier, who does not use her left hand and can lift only 6 ounces with her right hand.
"I want to be able to do as much for myself as possible," she said. "I want to be able to have as much dignity as I can."
When Wehmeier remembers her mother saying how important it would be to get a good job, she also hears her mom saying that she has "beaten the odds." But that characterization makes her as uncomfortable as the word "handicap."
"I kind of get tired of being the exception," Wehmeier said. "It should be the same for all."
And if she has anything to do with it, SIL's new mission statement - "We empower people to maximize their independence" - will help other people with disabilities realize the self-determination that Wehmeier exhibits.
Wehmeier gives Columbia high marks for accessibility but noted that rural communities and smaller cities don't provide as many options for people with disabilities.
One community where accessibility has been a hot topic is Centralia, in northern Boone County, where local advocate John Hinten has been officially proclaimed by Gov. Nixon as a "champion" for disability rights and unofficially as a pariah for many in the community for his unabashed, in-your-face campaign for ADA compliance for city sidewalks, parking and accessibility to local retailers.
Hinten said he's probably cast as "an angry man in a wheelchair," and his approach is less diplomatic than Wehmeier's, even if their passions are similar. He began using a wheelchair five years ago in a 20-year battle with complications from Lyme disease.
The No. 1 problem with fully implementing ADA, in his view, is "attitude of society."
"Saying, 'It doesn't affect me' is shallow thinking," he said. "It affects us all. The disability club is one you can join without applying for at any time, any place and to any degree of disability."
Late last year, Hinten filed a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, alleging disability discrimination by Mayor Tim Grenke and the city of Centralia. The complaint was investigated, and the case was closed without finding any basis to support Hinten's claim.
Hinten has returned to the community's accessibility committee, and the town recently featured beefed-up accommodations at the annual Anchor Festival, but Hinten continues to beat the ADA drum, if only more softly - for now.
"Enforcement" of ADA law "is a problem, but apathy is just as bad," Hinten said, chiding people for turning their heads and doing nothing when they see someone who is not disabled park in a handicap spot.
And he gets especially agitated at the suggestion that the ADA is "too expensive" for compliance.
Big-ticket items under ADA often qualify for grants, tax credits or similar incentives, he said.
"Most things that require modification and change to comply cost very little. Some cost nothing," he said. Hinten contends that the society's priorities is the likely the biggest obstacle to ADA compliance.
"Until we as a society make ADA compliance a priority," he said, "we will be where we are today at the 40-year anniversary."
Balthazor is more optimistic about the future, partly because he sees the aging baby boomer generation driving the economy by creating markets for disability accessibility, pharmaceuticals and other goods and services geared toward that
population, many of whom might develop some level of age-related disability.
ADA advocates claim that one in five Americans currently has some level of mental or physical disability.
Moving forward, Balthazor would like to see Missouri government adopt a state building code that implements ADA guidelines.
"A lot of our neighbors are significantly ahead of us on that," he said.
He's also eager to see the "symbolic measure" of signing a recommitment to ADA bloom into actual steps toward achieving compliance.
Balthazor pointed out that the ADA law is a work in progress, not a one-time fix for the civil rights of people with disabilities.
"Like any other civil rights movement, society has a lot to do with it," he said. "It is a massive undertaking. It is a massive change."
This article was originally published by the Columbia Daily Tribune on July 11, 2010 by Jodie Jackson Jr.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/jul/11/twenty-years-ada/
Aimee Wehmeier remembers maneuvering her motorized wheelchair out of a local grocery store about five years ago when a man in the parking lot gave her a quarter. She was puzzled by his action and asked what the quarter was for.
"To help you," he replied.
She laughs about it even now, joking about what practical use a quarter is for anyone - in or out of a wheelchair.
Wehmeier, who has muscular dystrophy and has been in a wheelchair her entire life, certainly wasn't raised to put her hand out to depend on an occasional quarter for sustenance.
"My mom told me, 'You better get a good job because you'll never wait tables,'" she recalled. So, taking Mom's advice, she left St. Charles after graduating from Francis Howell North High School in 1989 and moved to Columbia that summer.
It was one year before then-President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. ADA was considered the most comprehensive policy statement ever made regarding civil rights for people with disabilities.
The ADA law marks its 20th anniversary later this month, and the local Services for Independent Living office turned 30 this summer. It seems almost fitting that SIL staff have coordinated a 12-day anniversary celebration from July 21 through Aug. 1, from adaptive sports competitions and public forums to a presentation at Ragtag Cinema and a disability pride parade on July 24.
"We wanted to do a celebration," said Wehmeier, the executive director of SIL since October 2006. The single-event celebration became multiple events, then a week, then nearly two weeks long.
"It just kept growing and growing. It's just amazing," Wehmeier said. She paused briefly, repeating her mother's advice about getting a good job. "It's pretty amazing to me to have a job that is also my life."
The Americans with Disabilities Act was designed to create equality and access in three key areas for people with disabilities. Title I of the act addresses employment for individuals with a disability. Advocates of the law say a common misperception, however, is the cost of making reasonable accommodations, even though most of the accommodations - such providing elevated work stations - are less than $250.
Title II of the ADA refers to state and local government accessibility provisions. Public schools are subject to Title I for employment purposes and Title II with regard to programs, services, activities and physical access. Children who rarely participated in mainstream education before the law are now required to be educated in the least restrictive environment.
Title III refers to private, nongovernmental entities and not-for-profit services operating places of "public accommodation." Businesses governed by Title III include restaurants, supermarkets, lawyers' and doctors' offices, banks, shopping centers, privately owned sports arenas, movie theaters, private day care centers, hotels, accountant or insurance offices, museums and health clubs.
Some examples of ADA requirements include having accessible parking spaces, doorways, hallways, bathrooms and counters.
The senior President Bush called the ADA legislation "a sledgehammer" to the walls that had separated Americans with disabilities from freedoms that were not previously accessible to them.
Whether the walls of exclusion have all "come tumbling down," as the president announced, is open to debate.
"To most people, ADA is just putting up a ramp," said Wehmeier. "I don't think that's changed a lot."
But the ADA isn't just about people in wheelchairs or installing a wheelchair accessible ramp. There are other accommodation and accessibility issues. Wehmeier pointed out that Columbia has no movie theater that offers captioning for deaf people. It's also rare to find a doctor's office that has interpreters for the hearing-impaired.
And not all accommodations are a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, providing print information in Braille might be effective for one person who is blind; however, not all people who are blind read Braille. For another person who is blind, an audio recording might be more effective.
"There's still a lot of work to do," she said.
Troy Balthazor, the public information officer for the Great Plains ADA Center, headquartered at 100 Corporate Lake Drive in Columbia, pointed out that "a great number" of publicly funded facilities still do not meet ADA standards.
General, physical access to buildings and public environments, such as playgrounds and sidewalks, is at the top of Balthazor's list for ADA compliance still needed.
"A lot of changes have been made, and newly constructed facilities tend to be much more accessible to all people than they were prior to the ADA," he said.
While private businesses generally are not required to meet all ADA requirements unless they construct new facilities or host public meetings, state and local governments don't have that option. All programs and services of government agencies must be accessible to everyone. Removing "readily accessible barriers" in both public and private environments is the bottom line of the ADA.
Great Plains is promoting the "2010 in 2010" campaign, which is trying to get 2,010 public entities, private businesses and other organizations to sign a proclamation of recommitment "to full implementation" of the ADA.
The proclamation has been signed by dozens of Missouri organizations and officials, including Gov. Jay Nixon, Columbia Mayor Bob McDavid, local hospitals, the Boone County Commission, the city of Centralia and others, including private businesses.
But not everyone has warmed up to the proclamation of recommitment.
"Plenty of entities have not wanted to sign it," Balthazor said, declining to identify the counties or cities that have opted not to join the proclamation. He thinks the fear of being held to a higher standard might dissuade some from signing.
"The law's been out there 20 years," he said. "It's disappointing when entities don't sign."
The ADA Center is among nearly a dozen organizations involved in planning the local ADA anniversary celebration. SIL community relations coordinator Becky Stewart has worked to put together a jam-packed week of events.
A disability pride parade is set for 11 a.m. July 24 beginning and ending at the Courthouse Square in downtown Columbia. Other events take place throughout the community. A full schedule is available at www.thompsoncenter.missouri.edu/ada/ada.html.
Services for Independent Living provide support and services to seven counties, including Boone, Callaway and Randolph. SIL's programs include peer support groups, a residential ramp project for income-eligible consumers, transportation services, housing information, in-home services and legislation advocacy.
More than half of staff and board of directors members are people with disabilities who have personally experienced social and physical barriers associated with disability. The organization receives funding through the United Way.
Wehmeier is often the face of the organization as well as the community when it comes to people with disabilities.
"I think my purpose is to make people more comfortable" with dealing with people with disabilities, she said. "I feel like my gift is working on barriers. Sometimes it takes a lot of smiles, a lot of energy, a lot of first handshakes."
Just don't mistake her easy-going demeanor for a lack of passion. Wehmeier has thrived in the job market, for instance, but she knows that is the exception for many wheelchair-bound workers.
"The most qualified candidate doesn't always get the job," Wehmeier said. "That hasn't changed" since the adoption of the ADA. "To me, that's a huge barrier."
Wehmeier, 39, attended MU and received a degree in educational and counseling psychology. She later earned a master's degree in business administration. Before taking the top spot at SIL, she worked 10 years at State Farm Insurance, where she wore a variety of hats, including claims representative and supervisor. Another duty was representing State Farm on SIL's board of directors.
"For me, I have been able to work since I was 18 years old," Wehmeier said. "That is not the story for most people."
She also owns her home, complete with a roll-in shower, zero-entry doors and other features necessary for her to live as independently as possible. But independence begins with employment, she stressed.
"That affects every aspect of disability," said Wehmeier, who does not use her left hand and can lift only 6 ounces with her right hand.
"I want to be able to do as much for myself as possible," she said. "I want to be able to have as much dignity as I can."
When Wehmeier remembers her mother saying how important it would be to get a good job, she also hears her mom saying that she has "beaten the odds." But that characterization makes her as uncomfortable as the word "handicap."
"I kind of get tired of being the exception," Wehmeier said. "It should be the same for all."
And if she has anything to do with it, SIL's new mission statement - "We empower people to maximize their independence" - will help other people with disabilities realize the self-determination that Wehmeier exhibits.
Wehmeier gives Columbia high marks for accessibility but noted that rural communities and smaller cities don't provide as many options for people with disabilities.
One community where accessibility has been a hot topic is Centralia, in northern Boone County, where local advocate John Hinten has been officially proclaimed by Gov. Nixon as a "champion" for disability rights and unofficially as a pariah for many in the community for his unabashed, in-your-face campaign for ADA compliance for city sidewalks, parking and accessibility to local retailers.
Hinten said he's probably cast as "an angry man in a wheelchair," and his approach is less diplomatic than Wehmeier's, even if their passions are similar. He began using a wheelchair five years ago in a 20-year battle with complications from Lyme disease.
The No. 1 problem with fully implementing ADA, in his view, is "attitude of society."
"Saying, 'It doesn't affect me' is shallow thinking," he said. "It affects us all. The disability club is one you can join without applying for at any time, any place and to any degree of disability."
Late last year, Hinten filed a complaint with the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, alleging disability discrimination by Mayor Tim Grenke and the city of Centralia. The complaint was investigated, and the case was closed without finding any basis to support Hinten's claim.
Hinten has returned to the community's accessibility committee, and the town recently featured beefed-up accommodations at the annual Anchor Festival, but Hinten continues to beat the ADA drum, if only more softly - for now.
"Enforcement" of ADA law "is a problem, but apathy is just as bad," Hinten said, chiding people for turning their heads and doing nothing when they see someone who is not disabled park in a handicap spot.
And he gets especially agitated at the suggestion that the ADA is "too expensive" for compliance.
Big-ticket items under ADA often qualify for grants, tax credits or similar incentives, he said.
"Most things that require modification and change to comply cost very little. Some cost nothing," he said. Hinten contends that the society's priorities is the likely the biggest obstacle to ADA compliance.
"Until we as a society make ADA compliance a priority," he said, "we will be where we are today at the 40-year anniversary."
Balthazor is more optimistic about the future, partly because he sees the aging baby boomer generation driving the economy by creating markets for disability accessibility, pharmaceuticals and other goods and services geared toward that
population, many of whom might develop some level of age-related disability.
ADA advocates claim that one in five Americans currently has some level of mental or physical disability.
Moving forward, Balthazor would like to see Missouri government adopt a state building code that implements ADA guidelines.
"A lot of our neighbors are significantly ahead of us on that," he said.
He's also eager to see the "symbolic measure" of signing a recommitment to ADA bloom into actual steps toward achieving compliance.
Balthazor pointed out that the ADA law is a work in progress, not a one-time fix for the civil rights of people with disabilities.
"Like any other civil rights movement, society has a lot to do with it," he said. "It is a massive undertaking. It is a massive change."
This article was originally published by the Columbia Daily Tribune on July 11, 2010 by Jodie Jackson Jr.
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/jul/11/twenty-years-ada/
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Mobility Conquest Trike Featured On Denver's Channel 9News
On Tuesday July 13th, Adaptive AutoMobility was proud and fortunate to welcome Gregg Moss from Channel 9News to feature the latest in adaptive technology, the new Mobility Conquest Trike. The Trike is a revolutionary new motorcycle designed specifically for a wheelchair user to drive from their wheelchair. Your wheelchair goes where you go, unlike some bikers with non-accessible trikes that are forced to have someone follow them in a van with the wheelchair while they are riding with their friends. In this bike, your chair is with you and you are in control again, on your own, on the open road with the wind in your hair, the ultimate feeling of freedom!
The Mobility Conquest was invented in England by Alan Martin. Mr. Martin’s son was injured in a work related accident and he wanted to help his son ride motorcycles again. From those modest beginnings they have now sold more than 100 bikes in the UK in the last year, and have ventured across the pond to the United States. And don't think for a second that this bike is built for anything other than performance! Many people assume that this trike would go slow for safety reasons or because it is being driven from a wheelchair, but this machine was built with both safety and performance in mind.
Performance comes from the BMW's 1170 CC engine, the most powerful engine and front end suspension BMW makes, combined with a Formula One rear suspension. Everyone who rides it says the same thing, "Wow, this is surprisingly powerful". With 0-60 mph only taking 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 105 mph (due to a governor) you will have no problem keeping up with your friends.
The bike is well balanced as a result of the three wheel design and the push-button gear shifter is much easier to use than the original foot shifters. This bike has passed all U.S. road safety requirements, which is more than one can say about all the one-off creations people have come up with on their own.
For that rider who would like to customize and make their bike unique there are many options including radios, windshields, luggage racks, and custom colors. Not that you will need it though, as this bike is truly a head turner. With Batmobile references on an almost daily basis, you can rest assured this is one unusual, eye-catching bike!
This bike is particularly popular with Veterans and was the hit of the 2010 National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver over the July 4th weekend. The Conquest is truly a reminder to consumers with physical challenges that they can enjoy independence and the freedom of the open road just like any other biker!
Interested in knowing more? Contact us to schedule a demo ride!
Click on the picture below to visit 9News.com for the full story and video which ran July 14th. It can be found on the home page, the link below, or look for the Gadgets segment by Greg Moss.
The Mobility Conquest was invented in England by Alan Martin. Mr. Martin’s son was injured in a work related accident and he wanted to help his son ride motorcycles again. From those modest beginnings they have now sold more than 100 bikes in the UK in the last year, and have ventured across the pond to the United States. And don't think for a second that this bike is built for anything other than performance! Many people assume that this trike would go slow for safety reasons or because it is being driven from a wheelchair, but this machine was built with both safety and performance in mind.
Performance comes from the BMW's 1170 CC engine, the most powerful engine and front end suspension BMW makes, combined with a Formula One rear suspension. Everyone who rides it says the same thing, "Wow, this is surprisingly powerful". With 0-60 mph only taking 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 105 mph (due to a governor) you will have no problem keeping up with your friends.
The bike is well balanced as a result of the three wheel design and the push-button gear shifter is much easier to use than the original foot shifters. This bike has passed all U.S. road safety requirements, which is more than one can say about all the one-off creations people have come up with on their own.
For that rider who would like to customize and make their bike unique there are many options including radios, windshields, luggage racks, and custom colors. Not that you will need it though, as this bike is truly a head turner. With Batmobile references on an almost daily basis, you can rest assured this is one unusual, eye-catching bike!
This bike is particularly popular with Veterans and was the hit of the 2010 National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver over the July 4th weekend. The Conquest is truly a reminder to consumers with physical challenges that they can enjoy independence and the freedom of the open road just like any other biker!
Interested in knowing more? Contact us to schedule a demo ride!
Click on the picture below to visit 9News.com for the full story and video which ran July 14th. It can be found on the home page, the link below, or look for the Gadgets segment by Greg Moss.
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