Hudson-Peralta is supported by BraunAbility and his local mobility dealer, The Creative Mobility Group in Madison Heights, MI. When you purchase a mobility product from BraunAbility, you join a powerful community.
Moments after Ryan Hudson-Peralta was born, he was whisked away by doctors. Medical professionals told his parents their son would never hold a job, have a family or drive a car.
Born with a congenital limb deficiency, a condition that causes limbs not to fully form, Hudson-Peralta has shortened arms and legs and no hands. He embraces his disability, which is reflected in his online presence and the name behind his brand, Look Mom No Hands.
Today, Hudson-Peralta uses his power wheelchair and his BraunAbility Chevrolet Traverse to keep up with his busy lifestyle while working as a principal user experience designer at Rocket Central. He is also a motivational speaker, a mentor to children with limb differences and a father to his two children, Myranda and Noah.
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Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Change Lives
Before driving a wheelchair accessible vehicle of his own, Hudson-Peralta often stayed home or was driven around by family members.
“I remember being a kid and my friends were going and doing whatever they wanted, and I’d be stuck either in my manual wheelchair or having my parents drive me around,” he said.
With his wheelchair accessible vehicle, Hudson-Peralta said, “I’m super independent. I can go to work. I can do whatever I want. It helps me be independent and not have to rely on people to get around.”
Driving Independence for People With Disabilities
The road to independence for Hudson-Peralta was full of what he refers to as “speed bumps.” While his physical disability slowed the process of getting his license, it did not stop him from getting behind the wheel.
Hudson-Peralta has used BraunAbility vehicles since childhood. His parents first drove a wheelchair accessible Dodge Grand Caravan with woodgrain accents. When he was old enough to get his own vehicle, Hudson-Peralta purchased a Chrysler Town & Country with a foldout ramp.
His experience, though, wasn’t without a few more speed bumps. While his friends were driving at 16, Hudson-Peralta spent three years saving for his vehicle, attending driver’s education and learning how to drive with adaptive equipment.
Eventually, Hudson-Peralta passed all his driver training. All that was left was the driving test, which the DMV told him was “impossible” because it did not have driver evaluators who specialized in adaptive driving.
Again, he encountered a speed bump. But after a few weeks, he was evaluated for a license just as a nondisabled driver would be, and he got his license.
Choosing a Wheelchair Accessible SUV
Hudson-Peralta had been driving for more than 20 years before he got his wheelchair accessible SUV.
“I didn't wanna drive a minivan anymore, and when I saw that BraunAbility was doing the Traverse, I just had to get it,” Hudson-Peralta said.
Once Hudson-Peralta got his Traverse, he adapted it with multiple modifications to meet his needs.
Today, he’s able to control everything in his vehicle using his feet and arms. Hudson-Peralta has multiple modifications throughout his vehicle. His pedal extenders accommodate his short stature, allowing him to accelerate and decelerate the vehicle. Low-effort steering, which he controls using his arms, allows him to turn the vehicle in any direction with ease. Lastly, his control panel, located on the driver-side door, allows him to control vehicle features such as windshield wipers, turn signals and radio volume.
Seeing How Accessible Vehicles Are Made
Hudson-Peralta has had the chance to visit BraunAbility, taking a road trip to the manufacturing facility to see how wheelchair accessible vehicles are made.
“My experience with VMI, it was fine in the beginning, but then I had tons of problems with my door and problems with the ramp getting stuck,” Hudson-Peralta said.
After touring the manufacturing facility and meeting BraunAbility team members, Hudson-Peralta said, “I love my vehicle. I would definitely recommend people look at a BraunAbility vehicle. I’m never gonna get anything else. I know that for sure.”
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