BraunAbility and Servants at Work Build Wheelchair Ramps
For people with disabilities and caregivers, a wheelchair ramp can mean the difference between being able to access life outside their home or not. Lack of accessible entry and exit can prevent a person from grocery shopping, attending medical appointments, or spending time with friends and family. Therefore, having a home access ramp can make a significant difference.
BraunAbility and SAWs Partnership
BraunAbility’s mission to "make life a moving experience for all" extends beyond the workplace and into the broader community. For over a decade, BraunAbility has partnered with Servants at Work (SAWs) to build ramps for individuals and families affected by physical disabilities so they can get in and out of their homes safely. Over the last ten years of our partnership, we've built about ten ramps per year, totaling well over 100 ramps for people with physical disabilities in the community.
The Importance of Home Accessibility
BraunAbility has changed the lives of over one million people with disabilities and their caregivers through our mobility products. While our products play a significant role in improving mobility, the need for accessibility extends beyond transportation. To fully benefit from these vehicles, individuals must first be able to safely enter and exit their homes. This is why our partnership with SAWs is crucial.
By building ramps, BraunAbility and SAWs help ensure people with physical disabilities not only have access to their homes but also to their wider communities.
SAWs: Providing Independence through Wheelchair Ramps
SAWs is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization focused on providing independence to people with permanent disabilities through the construction of wheelchair ramps The organization places a special emphasis on assisting individuals in low-income households by building ramps free of charge for those in need throughout Indiana.
BraunAbility’s 50th Anniversary Wheelchair Ramp Builds
In celebration of our 50th anniversary, BraunAbility partnered with SAWs to undertake an ambitious goal: building 50 ramps in 50 days. With the combined efforts of BraunAbility employees and SAWs volunteers, we successfully completed our goal in exactly 50 days. The initiative was primarily based in Indiana, where BraunAbility's manufacturing and global headquarters are located. Additionally, employees from BraunAbility's retail locations in Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, and Washington State contributed to the effort, ensuring individuals with disabilities received wheelchair ramps, providing them with freedom and independence.
Impact on Families
BraunAbility has had the privilege of providing wheelchair ramps for some of its very own customers and employees over the years. One notable story involves the Green family, which has strong ties to BraunAbility. Three generations of the family have worked for the company, beginning with Pat Floyd, who started in the Cylinder Department of a then small mobility plant. His daughter Deb and her husband Paul later joined the company, working in various departments over the years. At 60 years old, Deb Unexpectedly became her husband's full-time caregiver after he was diagnosed with dementia. The couple needed a way to get Paul in and out of their home safely. BraunAbility employees eagerly stepped in to help, using lumber, hammers, and nails to build a ramp at the family's home in Royal Center, Indiana.
Ongoing Volunteer Efforts
Today, BraunAbility continues to support SAWs. Employees across the organization frequently team up and spend the day building wheelchair ramps for individuals or families in need. SAWs provides the wood and tools to build the ramps, while BraunAbility employees contribute their time and effort. Each wooden ramp is typically built in a day, and once finished, individuals who may have been limited in their ability to travel outside their homes can experience the freedom and mobility a wheelchair ramp provides.
SAWs: Qualifying for and Building Wheelchair Ramps
While SAWs primarily builds ramps for low-income families in Indiana, the organization has expanded its efforts to a few other U.S. states as well. To find out if you qualify for a ramp, visit saws.org. Additionally, BraunAbility offers a guide to building a wheelchair ramp, providing valuable information for those looking to improve home accessibility on their own.
