Adventurous Customer Defies Their Disability

At BraunAbility we love to hear stories of customers who ignore the common stereotypes of their disability and defy their disability. I recently talked to such a customer -- Curtiss Wilson of New Mexico -- who was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), or "brittle bone disease." The dominant characteristic of this genetic disorder is fragile bones that break very easily. Curtiss estimates he's had at least 300 fractures over the course of his life.

With a disease like this, you might think Curtiss would play it safe. No unnecessary risks like driving or taking vacations -- maybe he could just take up quiet hobbies like reading or painting, right?

Instead, Curtiss is an active outdoorsman who enjoys everything from fishing to target shooting to hunting with family and friends. To make these hobbies a reality, he drives a Toyota Sienna with a BraunAbility conversion, which he drives with specialized controls.

These hobbies come with their risks, of course, but it's worth it to Curtiss. "When I'm hunting I have to make sure I use a certain caliber gun to reduce the risk of injury," he explains.

Curtiss is gearing up for an especially exciting hunt -- an oryx (a species of African antelope) hunt at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. It's a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, literally, as hunters can only apply once for a license.

If he's not driving his BraunAbility Toyota to his next fishing or hunting trip, he might be driving across the country to attend the annual Osteogenesis Imperfecta National Conference or to volunteer events of the New Mexico State University Alumni Association. And when he's not on the road, he's at work as an entrepreneur selling used accessible vehicles and medical equipment online.