Awareness Month Demonstrates that Local Heroes Abound … and the Enormous Need for Personal Wheelchair Transportation
Opinion Editorial
I have a friend that I recently submitted to the National Mobility Awareness Month website, with the hope that she will be able to win the local hero contest and get the wheelchair van she really needs for her daughter. I think she’s a hero anyway. She took in a little girl with a lot of physical and developmental needs when she was just scraping by herself. The girl’s natural mother dropped her off one day and never came back. The father ended up in jail. My “hero” spent whatever she had in the courts to keep the girl out of the system and in her home.
When I went to check the website to see if her nomination had been posted I was redirected to a different website with the following message:
“Site under maintenance. Thank you for visiting the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association website – NMEDA.com / MobilityAwarenessMonth.com. The site is unavailable at this time due to the overwhelming response to the National Mobility Awareness Month Local Heroes program. We are communicating website updates via our Facebook page or you may check back at a later time.”
Apparently the number of submissions and those trying to vote on their own favorite hero brought the site down. It “crashed” or something like that. At first I was upset. I really want her to win. I was sending out e-mails to all of my friends and to some of the local church groups to vote for her. I even Facebook’d the few people I know. I called the NMEDA 800 number to complain. I even called MobilityWorks, even though I knew it wasn't your fault, and told someone there how upset I was. That poor guy, he was very nice! But then I realized the people at NMEDA are really trying to do a good thing – and that things will work themselves out. Whatever happens, I hope that whoever wins really deserves it and needs it.
But my friend is just one of many people that I personally know who really need a handicap van. They aren't heroes you would read about in the newspaper. They're just regular people struggling to get by. I know a LOT of people that could really use one. Mr. Dawson who’s almost 70 at the center is in a wheelchair and has to take public transportation. He donates his time almost every day to help others. He’s a hero too. I suppose that if everyone who heard about the contest told somebody else and then they told somebody else, that’s a lot of people trying to win at one time.
I wish the government would do something to help these people out, but I guess they don’t do nothing to help buy a van. That’s a shame with all of the money being wasted on all those solar companies. Why are we giving billions of dollars to them anyway? That money could have gone to a lot of disabled people. When my friend has to take her little girl to a doctor’s appointment, she walks several blocks down the street... and then has to take the bus. I would help but I don't have a car. Her little girls is getting to big for her too lift out of the wheelchair. Isn’t there someone in the government who sees the need for these folks? Perhaps if everyone who was nominating and voting also called the Whitehouse about people needing wheelchair vans that would get some attention.
Anyway, I hope it all gets fixed soon. I know you all are doing what you can.
Thank you.
Fran H. Goudy
(Editor's note: The NMEDA Mobility Awareness Month website has since been fixed)
Our Commercial Wheelchair Vans Help to Move People in Every Major City
Thousands of MobilityWorks commercial wheelchair vans like these (operated by private companies and organizations) can be found in nearly every state throughout the country.
Most of our consumer clients know us for the BraunAbility or VMI wheelchair minivans they’ve purchased or rented over the years at one of our 20 showroom locations. Many influencers such as the Veterans Administration or occupational therapists (OTs) also recommend our scooter lift and hand control products to their clients. What many customers don’t know is that our Commercial Vans are on the road in almost every major city of the United States. From New York City to Chicago and Atlanta to Los Angeles California, thousands of MobilityWorks built vans are taking people where they need to go. While we don’t supply the drivers of these purchased vans, we’re glad that we can play a role in providing greater access to travel for people in wheelchairs all over the country.
While our non-emergency ambulette vans are a large part of our overall production, MobilityWorks commercial vans come in all shapes and sizes. Most are full sized vans equipped with wheelchair lifts. We serve clients such as hospitals, schools, adult living communities, churches, nursing homes, city & county services, hotels and even law enforcement. Our rear entry wheelchair lift vans are also used for transporting medical equipment or larger electronic items such as copiers. Our manufacturing team can serve fleet managers with all types of options and van configurations that can be adapted to most any need. We even produce a border patrol transport vehicle used by agents working along the southern U.S. border.
Ford E-Series commercial vans at our Akron Ohio facility.
Commercial wheelchair vans have a variety of side-entry and rear-entry floor plans, with most having some type of raised roof design. Seating arrangements are made to order based on the client’s needs and the number of spaces required for wheelchair passengers. Most are built on Ford E-Series chassis which are the E-150, E-250 and E-350 models. Larger paratransit buses are also fitted with lifts and seating by our manufacturing staff. The Ford Transit Connect with a built-in wheelchair ramp is also becoming a popular choice for its accessible versatility and gas mileage benefits, especially in the taxi cab market.
So the next time you’re travelling to another city and see a commercial van with a “MobilityWorks” sticker in the side or rear window, think of us and say, I know those guys!
About
Our MobilityWorks Commercial division is located in Akron Ohio on Wilbeth Road, about 10 miles south of our consumer headquarters and showroom on Moe Drive, also in Akron. Both are about 45 minutes from Cleveland. They are Ford Motor Company’s largest mobility upfitter. For business owners that want to contact our commercial sales team, you can call them toll free at 1-888- 466-5504. Mechanical service is provided for commercial customers at each of our consumer showroom and service center locations.
April is National Limb Loss Awareness Month – 500 Limbs Lost Per Day
Limb loss due to medical conditions or accidents affect people of all ages. This young lady was at a Shriner's Hospital for rehabilitation with her prosthetic legs.
It’s estimated that more than 500 Americans lose a limb each day. More than two million Americans are currently living with a limb loss. Amazing statistics that many of us are shocked to hear. Perhaps it’s because prosthetic limbs have come such a long way that it can be hard to tell whether some is missing a limb or not. People with limb loss are around us every day, more than we realize, living full and active lives. I even know of a few police officers who have only one leg, marines who were injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. And they can outrun most any bad guy in a chase! Many of our clients using wheelchair vans and/or hand controls use a prosthetic.
The Amputee Coalition is at the heart of a movement to educate the public about limb loss, especially in April, when they celebrate National Limb Loss Awareness Month. Their mission: to bring awareness about the risk factors and preventative steps that people can take to avoid losing limbs.
There are many causes of limb loss, such as auto accidents or construction injuries. Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a shark! But many amputations that occur in the USA are preventable, due to medical conditions such as diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. The Amputee Coalition website has an informative listing they call “25 Ways to Avoid Limb Loss” with brief description identifying each. Go to their Limb Loss link here.
In addition to awareness, the Amputee Coalition offers scholarship programs, a marketplace for products, community forums for people with different interests and much more. They also have a comprehensive online library of resources, articles and publications called the National Limb Loss Information Center (NLLIC). You to also make donations online to help their cause. Go to www.amputee-coalition.org learn more about this terrific organization.
After Winter Maintenance for Handicap Vans Keeps Them Running Strong
Wheelchair lifts are serviced at all 20 MobilityWorks locations.
Winter is not the favored season of the year for most residents of the North and Midwest in America, so we’re glad it’s almost over. We live with it, we endure it, we try to find the beauty and charm of it when possible – icicles hanging from roofs and shining in the sunshine, tree branches coated with snow that become winter-land sculptures, kids throwing snowballs at each other after school is done for the day. These little moments of celebration help us to hang on for the arrival of spring, but take it from a northerner – we’d rather have green grass and 70-degree days over a foot of snow and frostbite any day!
Much the same as our bodies, our vehicles don’t favor the cold, precipitous days of winter either. Engines don’t want to start, heaters don’t want to generate heat, and tires don’t want to stay inflated. It’s as if the very elements are conspiring against us! With handicap minivans, a whole other list of potential complications can arise. Ramp hinges freeze-up, batteries that the operate the wheelchair lift or scooter lift become sluggish; even the door track can become clogged so that the van’s interior gets messy with slush and water. This does not make for an enjoyable winter vehicle experience!
MobilityWorks is committed to our stated mission of “making the world accessible” for all our very valued customers. This includes keeping your handicap minivans, full-size van conversions and all the vehicles you rely upon in good shape and totally functioning all season long. That’s why we feel that offering scheduled maintenance and service inspections on your accessible vehicles is a good idea. And since winter is nearly over and you'll be travelling more often, now is a great time to have your minivan or full-size van inspected to make sure all your equipment is working well. Did we mention that Mobility Works has been certified by almost every conversion van manufacturer & adaptive equipment vendor for installation and repair jobs? It’s the truth!
Please take a look at our Van Repair & Maintenance Services page to learn about all the great check-ups, tune-ups and inspections we can do for wheelchair ramps, wheelchair and scooter lifts, door opening systems, wheelchair tie-downs and more. Get your minivan, truck, van or car ready for springtime and summer so you won’t have to waste any of those precious warm days on mechanical duties. Time flies when you’re trying to say warm!
Overcoming Obstacles, “Handicap This!” Inspires Others and Dispels Myths About Cerebral Palsy
Tim Wambach and Mike Berkson tell the story of their remarkable friendship and how the Keep On Keeping On Foundation was formed.
"My body is in a wheelchair; my mind is not." — Mike Berkson
Mike Berkson and Tim Wambach met in the summer of 2001. Tim was hired to help Mike, a 12 year old with cerebral palsy, as his aide in elementary school. As Mike has virtually no control of movement of his arms or legs, Tim's job was to help him do things he couldn't do for himself. Tim quickly discovered that Mike was different than most kids his age. It wasn't because of his wheelchair or cerebral palsy. Mike possessed a razor-sharp quick-witted sense of humor beyond his years. It bonded the two unlikely friends immediately.
Mike, born two minutes after his twin brother, David, he was briefly deprived of oxygen and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects his body movements and coordination. The doctor warned their parents, Denis and Linda Berkson, that Mike was not expected to talk or lead a normal life. By the time Mike was three years old, he was talking up a storm and had a thirst for vocabulary. Linda took Mike back to this same doctor and let Mike drop his speaking skills on the him. The doctor was shocked and happily admitted he enjoyed being proved wrong.
Mike and Tim spent three years working together. “7th grade, 8th grade, and Freshmen year in high school. Then he had enough of me or I had enough of him, not quite sure.” Berkson said with a grin.
Tim left Mike in 2004 to pursue other opportunities, one leading him to his dream of becoming a motivational speaker. Tim was hired by National Financial Educators to deliver their signature program, “The Money Game,” to colleges across the country. While digging in deep at this job, Wambach felt himself being pulled back to Mike. “I don’t know what it was. I have always wanted the best for Mike and I kept thinking of ways I could still be of assistance to him. One day while out for a jog, I had an idea. Really, it was an epiphany and it's proved to be a game changer!”
Wambach’s game-changing plan was to take Mike and David to Orlando and spend a weekend in Disneyworld. The Berkson boys would then fly back to Chicago, but Tim would run back as a show of support to increase awareness about cerebral palsy, how Mike lives with his handicap, and to show people what is possible. The idea date was April 1, 2005. At this point, Tim didn’t even classify as a runner, but by August 1, 2005 after four months of incredibly intensive training, Tim ran 717 miles from Orlando, Florida to Chicago, Illinois.
“It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I threw everything I had into the run. Everything. Blood, sweat, and tears – all of it, literally. I dug deep and realized that I had been living my life at half-speed. That was exhilarating, but it was also agonizing. I knew I had to raise my game the rest of my life.”
On the heels of the Orlando-Chicago run, Mike & Tim worked to create the Keep On Keeping On Foundation. Its early mission was to raise awareness about severe physical handicaps and have fundraisers to support individuals who were living with them. In a twist of fate after a failed business venture for Tim, Mike and Tim would be reunited again in the summer of 2007. The Keep On Keeping On Foundation had been awarded official non-profit status and to continue furthering its awareness, Mike and Tim were asked to give speeches at different events. Their speaking engagements were very successful. They were making people laugh and think. The audience response was unanimous every time - people wanted more. “Our message affected every audience. Whether they were school-age children or adults, they loved us!” Berkson said.
Berkson and Wambach decided they wanted to take their educational speeches and turn them into a theatrical show. In January of 2010, Handicap This! rolled onto the stage and made its debut.
The show's purpose is to dispel myths and misunderstandings about cerebral palsy and handicaps, and also encourage others to overcome their own obstacles. Both Mike and Tim thoroughly enjoy performing the show for audiences. It gives Mike, who is often ignored, a platform to show off his chops and exercise the abilities he does have. The show also satisfies Wambach’s yearning to be a motivational speaker.
"People don't think he can accomplish a lot," Wambach says. "Physically he really can't, but mentally he's on overdrive. Always. He's got more happening between his ears than anyone I know. He really enjoys proving people wrong."
Berkson compares himself to a blind person whose other senses become sharper as a result of the blindness. "My mental state is not better or stronger, but it fires a little more quickly than an average person," he says. As he tells the audience, "My body is in a wheelchair; my mind is not." That is more than evident in their 80-minute show.
"On stage, Mike is triumphant,” Tim beams, "The audience gets to see Mike as MIKE, and they know immediately he's intelligent and funny."
They've dubbed themselves "two men and a wheelchair," but their show is really about the journey of a handicapped kid with enormous smarts who grows up and the friend with enormous heart who has helped him navigate along the way. These are happy times to savor.
Berkson and Wambach are no strangers to standing ovations. “We have done the show 15 times and received 16 standing ovations. You do the math,” Berkson says. They've had public performances, recently rolling onto the stage at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois for three performances. They’ve also performed for middle school, high school, and college audiences. Their niche markets are the colleges and other handicap awareness organizations. They are working to find a sponsor for a national college tour.
Handicap This! continues to work in partnership with the Keep On Keeping On Foundation. Wambach has also written a short book chronicling their experiences, How We Roll, with all sales going directly to the foundation. Please visit http://www.keeponkeepingon.org/howweroll.html.
Both men know they'll move on one day and pursue other things independently of one another, but they also know they will always be in each other's lives. "I don't see any end to our friendship,'" Wambach says. "We'll be forever linked. We've kind of accepted that this is our wave and we're going to ride it to wherever it takes us as long as we can."
So far, their wave has taken them to many places. Hopefully Handicap This! will roll into a town near you! For more information about Mike, Tim, Handicap This! or the Keep On Keeping On Foundation, please visit their websites: www.handicapthis.com and www.keeponkeepingon.org.
