Henry is supported by BraunAbility and his local mobility dealer, MobilityWorks in Tampa, FL. When you purchase a mobility product from BraunAbility, you join a powerful community.
Can you imagine traveling 9,146 miles across the country and visiting 27 states in just 33 days? Well, that's exactly what Henry Eichner did this past Summer. However, Eichner didn't utter the infamous road trip adage, "Are we there yet?" Instead, he took in the entire road trip while driving from his wheelchair in his BraunAbility Chevrolet Traverse with adaptive driving controls.
title
Life Before a Wheelchair Accessible SUV
Eichner lives with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, a condition that causes muscles to weaken and atrophy in all four limbs. As a result, he uses a wheelchair to get around. Eichner described life before his wheelchair accessible vehicle as being incredibly challenging. He had to rely on others to load his wheelchair in and out of a vehicle that was not wheelchair accessible. Because he coordinated his schedule around those who helped drive him, he didn’t have the spontaneity that he says many drivers take for granted. “It was miserable to have to sit at home and look out your window, and the furthest you can go from your home is how far your wheelchair can carry you," he said. Luckily for Eichner, his accessible vehicle changed his outlook.
BraunAbility Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Versus Other Wheelchair Van Sellers
Eichner has been a longtime customer of BraunAbility. In fact, he’s driven BraunAbility vehicles for almost a decade. He said, “There are other conversions out there. I don’t know how reputable they are. The only one I’ve ever dealt with is BraunAbility, and I’ve never had any problems.”
Transitioning From a Wheelchair Van to a Wheelchair Accessible SUV
Before getting his wheelchair accessible Traverse, Eichner drove a Dodge Grand Caravan. Like many, Eichner initially thought his accessible vehicle options were limited to vans, so when he found the Traverse, he was excited by its sleek look and spacious interior. He said, “When I found out that I could get a Traverse, I was excited about it because there is really no other wheelchair accessible SUV out there that you can get.”
Making Memories in an Accessible Chevrolet Traverse
Eichner certainly put his accessible SUV to the test on his recent road trip. The Traverse was packed to the brim, with suitcases in the trunk and on the roof, along with his medical equipment. Several family members joined Eichner for the trip, too. Despite the load, the vehicle handled the trip without a hitch. In fact, Eichner described the Traverse as a “beast.”
The group visited over half of the U.S. states, with stops to see Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, and the Badlands, just to name a few. More importantly, Eichner and his family made lasting memories. Eichner said, “We got to experience things that we thought we would never get to experience. We make memories in the Traverse all the time because we’re not held up by anything.”
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Change Lives
During the trip, Eichner and his family collected bumper stickers. They gathered 22 stickers — one for nearly every stop on their road trip. The stickers now decorate the back window of Eichner's accessible SUV. Eichner's bumper stickers remind him to keep a positive outlook. He acknowledges living with a disability can bring up feelings of loss of dignity and independence, but accessible vehicles can change that. “A car like this allows you to be your own person. It allows you to have your independence. It allows you to keep your dignity," he said.
When he’s not going on a family road trip, Eichner uses his wheelchair accessible SUV to run errands, drive his son to and from school, and see the local springs in his home state of Florida. Eichner's SUV has played a vital role in allowing him to explore the world and remain connected to his family as a father and a husband.
For those considering purchasing an accessible vehicle, Eichner says, “Don’t live life through a window. Look into these vehicles. It will completely and utterly change your life.”
Read Other Customer Stories
