Living with Charcot Marie Tooth Disease 

CMT is a neurological disorder affecting nerves in the arms and legs, causing a loss in mobility over time. Lynn described her disability saying,  

“I don’t have strength from my knees down or [strength] in my hands.” 

When Will attended college, mobility became a challenge. She could drive a non-accessible vehicle, but continued loss of strength made walking and driving difficult. 

Once Will graduated, she began teaching. 

“I used to drive to work because I'm only two blocks away. I had a wheelchair at school. I parked close enough… my chair was right at the door.”  

She continued, “I'd go into school, grab my wheelchair, come back out, grab all my stuff. Then at the end of the day, same thing. I'd go out to the car, put everything in, go back to put my chair in the school doorway, then go back to the car.” 

Not only was the process tiring for Will, but driving a non-adaptive car became dangerous for her when, due to loss of strength, she got her foot stuck between the gas and brake pedals. After the incident, Will felt it was best to stop driving and transition to a power wheelchair. While she could rely on her wheelchair to cover the two-block commute to work, traveling further distances became challenging. 

“I didn't go anywhere but work because I couldn’t. I didn’t have anyone that could take me [longer distances]”, explaining that other members of her family did not have an accessible van to transport her and her power wheelchair. With a lack of transportation, she began looking into accessible vehicles.