How One Tennessee Business is Redefining What It Means to Make Transportation Accessible

CUSTOMER STORY

How One Tennessee Business is Redefining What It Means to Make Transportation Accessible

“I started Able & Ready Transportation because I got sick and tired of people not being able to go where they needed to go and do what they needed to do.”

Having never driven a vehicle of her own, Rhonda Clark may not seem like someone who would start a transportation business. Her firsthand experience navigating inaccessible public transportation sparked the idea and ultimately led to the founding of her business, Able & Ready Transportation Inc.

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Rhonda Clark, from Wisconsin

I want people to know when they call us that they can go where they need to go.

Rhonda Clark, from Wisconsin

Rhonda Clark, from Wisconsin

Do your research, be true to what you believe and advocate for yourself and others.

Rhonda Clark, from Wisconsin

Understanding Transportation Barriers for People With Disabilities

Clark has lived with cerebral palsy for more than 50 years. Throughout her life, she has relied on public transportation, paratransit, carpooling, and other alternatives, as many people with disabilities who do not drive do. Too often, she found these options required her to plan transportation hours, if not days, in advance or wait long periods for rides that never came.

Clark, who lives in Tennessee, highlights that public transportation remains inaccessible for many, and this issue extends beyond just one city. Wheelchair accessible rideshare options like Uber and Lyft are generally limited to larger metropolitan areas, while finding accessible taxis outside cities such as New York or Los Angeles is rare. Paratransit services usually operate only within their own counties, while non-emergency medical transportation often requires passengers to be enrolled in Medicaid to be eligible for accessible rides to and from medical appointments. As a result, many individuals with disabilities lack adequate transportation, which not only restricts their mobility but also leads to social isolation.

“I use a power wheelchair. The limitations I have due to that — I can't get in a taxi. I can't take an Uber. Paratransit, I've been stranded multiple times. One of the biggest barriers when I moved to Tennessee was the fact that I had to get to work two and a half hours early because public transit was always late,” Clark said.

Over the years I tried other brands and learned the hard way that BraunAbility has much sturdier products, and the customer service is much better.

- Rhonda Clark

Founding an Accessible Transportation Company

Frustrated with the lack of accessible public transportation options, Clark knew she wasn't alone in her experiences, so she set out to start an accessible transportation business that serves the state of Tennessee.

“I started Able & Ready Transportation because I got sick and tired of people not being able to go where they needed to go and do what they needed to do,” she said.

Unlike other transportation services that may be restricted to fixed routes or limited geographic areas, Able & Ready Transportation offers transportation to any destination throughout the state of Tennessee. Whether it's transportation to and from workplaces, medical appointments, grocery stores, a local library, the airport, or a social outing, Clark's business provides transportation for individuals with disabilities and older adults.

“I want people to know when they call us that they can go where they need to go,” she said.

With a generous donation from the Permobil Foundation, contributions from many others and support from her local mobility dealer, Superior Van and Mobility in Louisville, Kentucky, Clark was able to purchase the first BraunAbility wheelchair van for her business.

Choosing BraunAbility Vehicles

Clark has used BraunAbility products since she was a child, first encountering them as a student when she relied on a wheelchair lift each school day to board her bus.

Today, she relies on two BraunAbility vehicles, a Toyota Sienna for personal use and a rear-entry Chrysler for her transportation business.

“Over the years I tried other brands and learned the hard way that BraunAbility has much sturdier products, and the customer service is much better,” she said.

Using her personal van, Clark is driven by others to appointments, errands and other daily obligations, but she's also had the opportunity to take some exciting trips with her vehicle.

“I've gotten to see CeCe Winans in concert twice, and I'm going to go see her again. I'm also going to see Linda Davis and her family at the Country Music Hall of Fame,” she said.

Clark won't use her company van for personal trips, though, because she is committed to providing transportation to those in need in her community.

“There were people that were saying, ‘Why don't you sell your personal van and buy two company vans?’ I said, ‘No,’ because I'm not going to tie up the company van if I need a ride somewhere,” she said.

The Impact of Accessible Transportation on a Community

Drivers play an important role in the operation of Able & Ready Transportation, providing clients with accessible transportation statewide. Clark described the experience she strives to give her customers, recalling one customer saying, “This is the best service.”

She also shared another story about a client who enjoys coming to Nashville each year for the GMA Dove Awards, a Christian and gospel music awards ceremony. For this client, Clark arranged for one driver to stay with the vehicle and another to wait at the arena to assist the passenger. With award shows being unpredictable, her team wondered how long the wait might be.

“This is why we're different,” Clark said.

She emphasized that many transportation services operate with strict time limits, often allowing only a few minutes for a passenger to arrive before moving on. Able & Ready Transportation works differently, not only providing transportation services throughout the state but also the accommodations clients need to access those services.

This commitment aligns clearly with Able & Ready Transportation's mission: “We don't aim to be all things to all people, but to be everything our riders need."

Able & Ready Transportation Inc.

Clark is a dedicated disability advocate and supporter of BraunAbility, Superior Van and Mobility, Permobil, and the Permobil Foundation.

Whether purchasing a vehicle for personal or business use, Clark said, “Do your research, be true to what you believe and advocate for yourself and others.”

In the future, Clark hopes to not only grow her business and purchase additional vehicles but also support others in creating spaces that are more inclusive of people with disabilities.

Learn more about Clark's work on the Able & Ready Transportation Inc. website.

Clark is supported by BraunAbility, and her local dealer, Superior Van & Mobility, in Louisville, KY. When you purchase a mobility product from BraunAbility, you join a powerful community.

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