A BraunAbility Traverse Made to Blend in and Stand Out

CUSTOMER STORY

A BraunAbility Traverse Made to Blend in and Stand Out

“It’s not just a vehicle, it’s a lifeline.”

Blink, and you might just miss him, not because he's speeding by, but because Dale Helton drives a BraunAbility Chevrolet Traverse with camouflage accents.

An avid outdoorsman, Helton's love of hunting and fishing is reflected in both his custom wheelchair and accessible SUV, which are decked out in camouflage.

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Dale Helton, from Missouri

When I finally did get a mobility vehicle, I started doing more stuff.

Dale Helton, from Missouri

I'm kinda sweet on the Traverse.

Dale Helton, from Missouri

Life Before a Wheelchair Accessible SUV

Before getting a wheelchair accessible vehicle, every trip required Helton to transfer from his wheelchair into the driver's seat of his truck, then disassemble his wheelchair and load it into the vehicle. Once he reached his destination, he had to reassemble the wheelchair and transfer back into it. Over time, the routine became physically demanding and led him to limit his outings.

He recounted many instances of getting in and out of his vehicle in rain and snow.

“Tires are wet. You're wet. The vehicle's wet. It turns into ‘Do I really need to go, or can this wait?’ With my mobility vehicle, I don't have that problem anymore. I'm into my vehicle in seconds,” he said.

When Helton got his accessible SUV equipped with a wheelchair ramp, adaptive driving controls, and a vehicle transfer seat, he was able to go out whenever he pleased.

As an outgoing, self-proclaimed “people person,” Helton was happy to get back to his usual trips to and from work and to running weekly errands at his favorite local stores.

“When I finally did get a mobility vehicle, I started doing more stuff. When it's hard to get around, you tend to do stuff because you have to. When it's easy for you, you do more stuff that you want to do", he said.

As soon as I got it, I scheduled to have them wrap the bottom with camouflage, and I love it. Everybody seems to love it.

- Dale Helton

Customizing a Wheelchair Accessible SUV

Helton appreciates both the vehicle's versatility and its modern look. His love of the outdoors and hunting inspired him to add a personal touch of camouflage to the vehicle.

“As soon as I got it, I scheduled to have them wrap the bottom with camouflage, and I love it. Everybody seems to love it,” he said.

The camo wrap not only shows off his personality, but it also serves as a conversation starter wherever he goes.

“Most people think, ‘You're in a wheelchair; how do you drive?’ So then I gotta show ’em the hand controls and all that because, for the most part, they don't have any idea that a person in a wheelchair can actually drive the vehicle,” he said.

According to Helton, it seems like everyone he meets knows someone who uses a wheelchair. He enjoys showing off his vehicle to people with and without disabilities and talking about driving adaptations for wheelchair users.

Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Change Lives

While Helton's vehicle suits his needs, he knows the needs of disabled drivers are unique, and he uses his knowledge and personal experience with disability to help other disabled drivers find accessible vehicles. Helton works at Southern Bus and Mobility, a BraunAbility dealer, where he sells accessible vehicles to people with mobility disabilities.

“I'm kinda sweet on the Traverse,” Helton said.

In fact, he keeps his vehicle in the Southern Bus and Mobility lot to show customers, though he sells all kinds of accessible vehicles.

Helton emphasized that wheelchair accessible vehicles have not only changed his life but can also change the lives of millions of people with disabilities.

“It's not just a vehicle; it's a lifeline,” he said.

Helton is supported by BraunAbility and his local mobility dealer, Southern Bus & Mobility, in Valley Park, Missouri. When you purchase a mobility product from BraunAbility, you join a powerful community.

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Getting the SUV was the best feeling. I felt like I was 16 again, and I was free.

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