BraunAbility Sales Manager Tim Hargis (third from left) poses with United Access volunteers Bobby Bryson, Laura Klaus and Sam Brenner.

BraunAbility dealers have incredibly close relationships with the professionals who help wheelchair users find the mobility products they deserve and the resources to purchase that equipment. A terrific example of that was shared earlier this month when the crew at United Access in Dallas helped the Texas Rehab ACTion Network organize a fundraiser for a woman named Belinda Kirkland.

Belinda had worked as a DARS (Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services) counselor out of Arlington, Texas for years. She worked tirelessly to help families find a way to overcome all types of disabilities and improve their quality of life. Aside from her work as a counselor, she also served as a secretary of TRAN (Texas RehabACTion Network), where she led several committees and actively worked to advance programs in the workplace for persons with disabilities.

Belinda was diagnosed with a form of t-cell cancer, and the single mother was consequently out of work for several months as she fought the aggressive disease.

Laura Klaus, a member of the United Access team in Dallas, had never met Belinda in person, but through their work with TRAN and planning the fundraiser, Laura felt like Belinda was a friend she’d known for years. As a newcomer to the state in the last year, that friendship was especially helpful to Laura. “Belinda gave so much to me in my short seven months here in Texas,” said Laura. “She guided me through DARS, brought me to TRAN, and always had such positive things to say about how to find my way here.”

Laura and her team of coworkers at United Access planned a very successful fundraiser, an event called “A Benefit for Belinda – a TRAN Chili Cook-Off” held at the world-class Cowboys Stadium. Over 20 teams participated, and well over 200 tasters paid to enjoy the work of the chili chefs and participate in a silent auction. United Access also used the opportunity to train DARS counselors on mobility equipment, from new wheelchair vans to driving equipment.

Unfortunately, as much as all the prayers and the love from her friends and colleagues helped her spirit and her finances, they could not change the course of her disease. Belinda passed away last weekend, and the disability and rehabilitation community lost a tireless advocate and friend.

“The impact she had on so many lives is tremendous – especially for this new Texan,” said Laura. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who were touched by the grace of Belinda and her family.”

We sincerely and deeply appreciate the work and the relationships that Belinda helped build over the course of her career. If you are interested in contributing to her fund, you can contact Laura Klaus at United Access (lklaus@unitedaccess.com, 972.240.8839).

Dawn Fornier and Mike Shipka deliver a BraunAbility Entervan to Jason Philips. A customer donated the van to the nonprofit Camp Craig Allen and asked that it be given to another family in need of mobility.

Like so many of our customers, getting from Point A to Point B was never easy for Jason Roberts and his mother, Phyllis. Jason was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the age of five and began using a wheelchair at nine. Since day one his mother, Phyllis, has been his primary caregiver, and after their many other medical expenses, they’ve never been able to afford an accessible vehicle.

While their mobility was limited, they never let that slow them down completely. It hasn’t been easy, but for decades Phyllis has transferred her son into and out of a vehicle. And while Jason has never been heavy, it’s still work to get him in and out of a car….a LOT of work. Every trip involves Phyllis lifting up Jason, transferring him into the car, and then stowing his power chair. The transfer process can be very stressful on Jason’s body, so once he’s secured, she’ll give him a breathing treatment to help him regain his strength and help him breathe on his own again. The whole process can take up to 45 minutes each way.

That was life, for Jason and Phyllis, and while it wasn’t easy, they made it work. They’ve taken some remarkable trips in recent years, including a drive out to Las Vegas and a visit to Bob Marley’s burial site in Jamaica. But trips like this will become much, much easier after the surprise they received this past October, all thanks to a customer of Advanced Mobility Systems in Texas who had contacted the dealership and informed them that he no longer had a need for his accessible van. His wife had recently passed away from ALS, and he wanted to donate the Entervan to a family in need. With the help of Advanced Mobility, the customer was able to donate the wheelchair van to the nonprofit Camp Craig Allen (a camp for adults with physical disabilities), who in turn surprised Jason and his parents with the new vehicle.

The family was overjoyed. Not only would simple trips become easier, but now Jason had an added peace of mind knowing that his mother, who had suffered two heart attacks, would not have to exert so much of her energy just to take him into town. “The ease of getting into and out of the vehicle is so much simpler for them now,” said Jennifer Satery of Advanced Mobility. “What took two hours before takes just two minutes.”

With the BraunAbility van – and the big hearts of everyone involved – Phyllis and Jason have freedom they’ve never experienced before. They can do more, go more places and enjoy life more with a little less worry…and that’s exactly what you get with the BraunAbility brand on your van and a BraunAbility dealer there to keep you on the road!

The San Francisco Chronicle recently noted that life expectancy has increased to 78.7 years…especially in the disability community. People with middle age disease-related disabilities are living longer – thus increasing their population. Current government statistics indicate the number of people with a disability (broadly defined as impairments, activity limitations, or participation restrictions) now reaches 40 to 50 million.

What usually coincides with good news? Bad news! Because of this growing population, handicap parking spaces, accessible bathrooms and other technologies catering to disabilities are quickly filling up. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1991 strives to provide solutions for this growing populace.

Ralph asked the owner why he didn’t have a ramp, and the owner replied, “Because people in wheelchairs don’t come here to eat.” Ralph just rolled away in wonder.

Promoting the ADA can be essential in creating more accessible surroundings for those with disabilities. For instance, if enough people have difficulty entering a movie theater because of uneven pavement, difficult ramps, etc., the ADA will support the change to make the venue safe and easily accessible. Because there are an increasing number of people with disabilities, there will be an increasing outcry to address these needs.

Ralph Braun tells the story of a popular local restaurant that did not have a ramp leading into its front entrance. Ralph asked the owner why he didn’t have a ramp, and the owner replied, “Because people in wheelchairs don’t come here to eat.” Ralph just rolled away in wonder.

With the ADA in force and a larger population of wheelchair users in the country, hopefully the close-mindedness of business owners like this one will continue to be a think of the past. Until then, it’s important to be aware and vocal – kindly letting venues know when they lack handicap parking spaces, accessible bathrooms and other handicap user-friendly technologies! The future will hold many more assistive tools as the demand increases, but it’s never too early to update the everyday stuff that helps us stay active in our everyday lives!

Jacqueline Gilman and her BraunAbility Rampvan.

Several weeks ago we received a letter from Art Gilman, a retired investment banker from Monterey, CA. According to Art, he had never written a positive testimonial in his 72 years. “I must be getting soft in my old age”, he said, “but I’ve never purchased an investment as rewarding as this.”

When his wife suffered a stroke in 2008, Art desperately searched the Internet for a transportation solution for his wife’s new mobility needs. His online search led him to Access Options in Watsonville, CA, where he met mobility specialist Thom White…and the BraunAbility Rampvan.

The couple made the investment in their first wheelchair van and never regretted it. Art still remembers picking up Jacqueline from a rehab appointment and being amazed at how easy it was to get in and out of their Toyota. The next time Art picked up his wife from an appointment at the same facility, he watched (and timed!) another patient as she awkwardly loaded and unloaded a wheelchair from a car and make her way into the facility. The transfer process took that person over 9 minutes; the same process for the Gilman’s in their Rampvan took just 24 seconds!

“I must be getting soft in my old age,” he said, “but I’ve never purchased an investment as rewarding as this.”

At the Access Options Customer Appreciation BBQ last year, Art decided it was time to make another investment…this time in a new 2011 Toyota Rampvan (the couple sold their 2008 wheelchair van at a great value to a family in need of mobility).

Today they love their second Rampvan as much as their first, and it’s still allowing them to keep up with their busy lifestyle. “I see the better part of life as being able to travel,” said Art. “This vehicle has let my wife and I continue out travel, and that’s been a major part of her recovery!”

Art and Jacqueline stop by to visit the team at Access Options periodically (Thom even stocks butterscotch candy just for them). Art acknowledges had it not been for them, he wouldn’t have known where to start with selecting the right mobility vehicle. “They were so sensitive, attentive and knowledgeable about my wife’s wants and needs,” he added ” and that is what’s most important”.

Sarena Wahl is a friend of BraunAbility and will help us share stories about our customers, our dealers and our industry from time to time.

Since he began using a power wheelchair in 1979 – over 32 years ago – he’s made his own transportation. He knew mobility vehicles existed, he just never thought he could afford one. Even so, the veteran wasn’t about to stay confined to his home. Gary had a full-sized van, and he asked a trusted friend with a fabrication shop to help him lower a portion of the floor and figure out a way to install some makeshift rails make it accessible. it wasn’t pretty, but it worked…for a while.

Last year he finally decided to purchase a wheelchair van, and a mobility dealer not far from Gary’s home had nearly sold him on a used conversion. Fortunately someone suggested he contact Scott and Sherry at Siebert Mobility. Not only did the longtime BraunAbility dealership show him a selection of wheelchair vans that would fit his tall frame, but they contacted the Veterans Administration and discovered he qualified to have the conversion portion of the vehicle funded. Gary was in disbelief. No one had ever taken the time to walk him through his mobility eligibilities as a veteran. With the new-found funding, Gary was able to drive home with a new Toyota Rampvan for less than the used conversion the other company had tried to sell him.

Gary was in disbelief. No one had ever taken the time to walk him through his mobility eligibilities as a veteran. With the new-found funding, Gary was able to drive home with a new Toyota Rampvan for less than the used conversion the other company had tried to sell him.

“Anyone who knows me would say I’m a little bull-headed,” said Gary, adding that he quickly dropped the stubbornness at Sieberts. “I’ve been in and out of more than a few dealerships in my life, and there’s no comparing to the level of service I had with them.”

Siebert Mobility was founded in 1978 by Bill Siebert and has expanded to include three locations in Iowa and one in Arkansas and Nebraska – all built on this same model of customer service.

“That’s just what we do,” said Sherry, adding that many customers visit the dealership never realizing they were eligible for funding assistance. “Whether it’s VA or Voc Rehab or another organization, we know who to talk to and what to ask to find out if there’s a way to help our customers afford their equipment.”

As for his new ride, Gary is overjoyed to be through with his handmade mobility and able to rely on a much more convenient and safer wheelchair van now. “It’s just so slick,” said Gary. “You just roll right in and you’re done. And the visibility is so much better.” Best of all, the handicap van still has plenty of room for all three of his border collies (Riley, Gracie and Tupelo), each of whom are better cures for depression than any doctor’s prescription.

Gary has shown Scott and Sherry just how much he appreciated their personal attention over the past few months. He brought them his homegrown tomatoes, pictures of his grandchildren, and keeps in touch with weekly phone calls to tell him where his wheelchair van has taken him recently.

Cassy Churchill of Superior Van and Mobility and Tim Hargis of BraunAbility pose next to Kentucky State Police Chief Lieutenant and Glen Franklin.

Nearly 40 years ago, Trooper Steward (Glen) Franklin was shot twice during the undercover arrest of a bootlegger in Kentucky. One of those shots pierced his spinal cord and left him paralyzed with no movement in his lower body. It wasn’t until nearly four decades later that he was finally recognized for his bravery in the field and his years of service.

The recognition happened last week in Frankfort, where the Kentucky State Police presented Trooper Franklin with the Guthrie Crowe Award, given to officers who have sustained a severe injury while in the line of duty. Franklin knew about the presentation (which was attended by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear along with dozens of fellow officers, family and friends). What he didn’t know was his state police family had helped raise over $40,000 to help him buy a new wheelchair van – a 2011 Honda Odyssey Entervan through Superior Van and Mobility.

“This just kind of blows our socks off,” Franklin says. “They’ll never know how much I appreciate it.”

Franklin owns an older van that was in need of significant repairs. When his fellow troopers realized the extent of its disrepair, they encouraged fellow officers across Kentucky to make a donation. And once the funds were collected, they knew exactly where to go - Superior Van and Mobility, the mobility dealer who had worked with the Franklins in the past and new exactly what van would fit Glen and his wife’s lifestyle best.

A few members of both Superior Van and BraunAbility were on hand for the presentation. The event and the surprise of the van was a phenomenal success. “This just kind of blows our socks off,” Franklin says. “They’ll never know how much I appreciate it.”

As much as he’s endured for the past four decades, Franklin feels blessed just to be alive. “I feel like I’ve had a blessed life,” he said. “It may not look that way on the surface, but my wife has stood by me and my family has stood by me. It’s been a good life.”

In our opinion, there’s no greater gift than mobility wrapped in a little love! Merry Christmas to the Franklin family and to the generous people who made sure this deserving man received the recognition and the respect he deserved. Click here for a look at the news coverage of the day’s events.

John Vcelka and Daniel Hersch at a fundraiser for BOEC, an outdoor education center that focuses on activities for individuals with disabilities.Â

We’ve used the phrase “Necessity is the mother of invention” to describe why Ralph Braun designed his first wheelchair van. The same adage was true for John  Vcelka, creator of Sports Abilities, an online resource and calendar for adaptive athletics across the country.

John started promoting local adaptive sports in his home state of Colorado. But it wasn’t until he spent a few months in Chicago – where for weeks he tried and failed to find an organization that offered wheelchair tennis – that he recognized an opportunity. “I figured that if someone who didn’t know where to look was searching online, they would have given up by now,” he said.

The concept behind Sports Abilities was ambitious…give every state, every adaptive sports organization the ability to post their events and updates. When athletes wanted to know about events or facilities or opportunities while traveling, or if they simply wanted to keep up with the scoreboard, they’d have a one-stop website to do so.

The cause was especially important to John because of the impact athletics has had on his own life. It’s been a terrific social outlet and has given him the chance to try new things; but perhaps most importantly, it’s helped him manage his pain and attitude. “I have a pretty significant amount of nerve pain in my legs,” explained John, a paraplegic, and physicians were often quick to prescribe pain medications to help manage the symptoms. “But when I’m participating in sports, I’m so focused on the activity, I don’t even recognize that I have pain.”

John regularly volunteers with Craig Hospital in Colorado and helps introduce SCI patients to sports and recreational activities.

In fact, through his participation in sports, he’s managed to wean himself off all the medications he’d been prescribed in the past. “I just find myself happier after I take part in an athletic event,” he said, “and I hope that enthusiasm is contagious.”

The response to the site has been incredibly positive. When it first launched, there were 54 pages in total, which included the home page, a resource guide and 50 state calendars. In just five months the site grew to over 630 pages, including activity-specific calendars, a classified section that allows athletes to post adaptive athletic equipment for sale, links to other disability-related blogs (AbilityVoice included!), and lots of other multimedia resources.

As much as SportsAbilities has grown in the past five months, John and the other volunteers behind the site know it has plenty of room to expand. If you have an event you’d like to post, just click on the menu tab “Get Your Event Listed”, fill out the online form, and SportsAbilities will post the event on the appropriate calendar. Or you can email John directly at info@sportsabilities.com.

Larger organizations with several events can be granted access to their own calendar that would automatically post events to the site. The state calendars offer the ability to post specific news and team results too, a useful outlet for not only the organization but for participants too.

Best of luck to John and the crew at Sports Abilities. We’ll be keeping in touch!

Sister Karen and her BraunAbility Entervan

Sister Karen Zielinski is a BraunAbility customer and frequent contributor to AbilityVoice. She’s the proud owner of a wheelchair van (a Chrysler Entervan) and contributes frequently to multiple sclerosis publications across the country.

I sent an email to a friend recently asking a simple “How ya’ doing?”. Her response was overwhelming – and certainly a bit depressing. She told me how she was homebound, desperate about her health and no doctor could help her. That was followed with an entire lunch conversation with a coworker who spoke only about the many specialists she’s seen for the many conditions she has and the many diets her doctors have recommended. I finished both of these conversations feeling lucky I had multiple sclerosis!

Obsessing about our health – we all do it to a degree. And depending on the state of our health (both mental and physical), we all need to vent once in a while. But listening to my friends reminded me of a very important reality check: it’s not about me!

I’ve been guilty of talking about my multiple sclerosis maybe a little more than needed, but when I catch myself doing this, I stop. When asked about my health, I’ll answer, but I’ve learned to say just enough and then change the subject. It’s not denying or lying about my health – it’s shifting the conversation and my focus.

Turning our thoughts and our energies outside of our own anxieties and focusing instead on other people, other ideas, can feel like the equivalent of a great night of sleep. If being a better person isn’t enough motivation, a study by the Corporation for National and Community Service shows volunteers live longer, have higher functional ability, lower rates of depression and less incidence of heart disease.

It doesn’t take a lot of money or even a lot of time to do it. In the case of my friend in the lunchroom, I told her I’d pick her up in my wheelchair van and take her out for coffee. She got a lift (pardon the pun), and I was able to help get her out of her home and gain a new perspective…and a little fresh air. It’s just one example, but these little visits have made a big impact on her outlook.

So, instead of a New Year’s resolution to be more active, lose weight or read more books, I’m resolving to do a better job of shifting my mental energy from my health and my worries to making life a little easier for others. Let’s all put health in it’s proper place – not ignoring it, but not making it our one and only focus (or the focus for others).

Here's a portion of BraunAbility's infographic on Disability in America. Click on the Disability in America link in the blog text to see the rest.

Pictures speak louder than words and numbers talk – put those two adages together, and you have an infographic, the nifty little visual representations of data that you see online and in newspapers from time to time.

You’re probably familiar with these illustrative chart hybrids from time-to-time. They’re perfect for giving an at-a-glance look at a trend or particular topic. We’d never seen an infographic on disabilities, so BraunAbility decided to create our own.

You can find our infographic at this link: Disability in America. What you’ll see is a closer look at who exactly the Americans with physical disabilities are – their age, their education, etc. As you’ll see, employment is a significant challenge for individuals with disabilities – only 20% of wheelchair and walker users are employed. On the flip side, we’ve improved transportation to get to work. In 1995 only 62% of buses were equipped with ramps compared to 98% in 2007.

The description “individuals with disabilities” is used so often in the general media and our industry…and BraunAbility wants to make sure the country knows who this phrase represents. You can find the complete infographic at this link: Disability in America.

Matt Carroll and his mother, Roberta, next to her "Magic Carpet", her BraunAbility wheelchair van.

A few weeks ago we received an email from Matt Carroll of Woburn, MA. He’d found a letter that his mother, Roberta, had written four years ago to BraunAbility thanking us for the driving freedom her Chrysler Entervan had given her. The first line of her letter captured her gratitude for her mobility perfectly:

“Magic Carpet is what I have named my vehicle.”

We wanted to hear a little more about Roberta, so we contacted Matt, who shared that his mother had passed away four years ago (not long after she’d written her letter to us). She was a “tough, no-nonsense go-getter”, he said, and had raised her six children on her own by working as a waitress. But, as Matt remembers, the family always shared plenty of food and plenty of laughs.

Roberta had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and getting in and out of her car was getting harder and harder. A niece gave her a brochure for Ride-Away, a BraunAbility dealer in Londonberry, NH. When Roberta saw a wheelchair van in person for the first time, she was amazed: “To me it was more than just innovation; it was a miracle.”

When Roberta saw a wheelchair van in person for the first time, she was amazed: “To me it was more than just innovation; it was a miracle.”

Her “Magic Carpet” carried her to movies, theaters, restaurants, family gatherings and the senior center.  When she became weaker from COPD, she shared a house with her son Matt and his wife. But even in the worst of winter when her health was failing she’d tell Matt to shovel a path to her van. “And I just did what I was told,” he said.

Roberta took any excuse to take her accessible van out and run errands. Sometimes she and her son would travel to the ocean where she could roll right out onto the boardwalk and into the ocean air. “Her van was her freedom,” wrote Matt.

Roberta drove the van up until a few days before she passed away at the age of 72. As she wrote in her letter, she loved to show off her wheelchair van to others, especially how easily she maneuvered in and out. She closed with a personal message to our founder: “A special thanks to Ralph Braun for his ingenuity and perseverance in the development of these innovations, which have enriched not only his own life but thousands of others as well.”

Thank you to Matt for sharing the words of his mother, who was undoubtedly a phenomenally strong and admirable woman.  We’ll be using those two words – Magic Carpet – to describe BraunAbility solutions for years to come.

Sarena Wahl is a friend of BraunAbility and will help us share stories about our customers, our dealers and our industry from time to time.