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MobilityWorks

MobilityWorks of Huntsville Opens Its Doors

17 June 2014

We are happy to announce the officially opening of our newest store location in Huntsville, AL

Huntsville is located 100 mile north of Birmingham close to the Tennessee and Alabama state border.

Huntsville is our 31st van showroom and service center to open and the second in the state of Alabama. Its sister location is in Birmingham, approximately 100 miles south. 110 miles to the north is our Nashville TN van showroom.

Leading the store’s operations will be General Manager Tiana Garner, who had previously been in charge of our service team in Akron, Ohio and has had significant experience in different administrative roles with MobilityWorks. The Huntsville location will primarily serve the counties of Madison, Limestone, Jackson, Marshall and Morgan, in addition to southern portions of Tennessee.

Huntsville has new wheelchair accessible vans for sale on its lot, in addition to pre-owned vehicles, rental vans, preventive maintenance and repair services, scooter carriers for sale, hand control installation, financing and more.

Free Mobility Consultations

As always, MobilityWorks provides free Mobility Consultations and Needs Analysis so that we can find the right solution for an individual or family. Scheduling an appointment is recommended. Click here to learn more about MobilityWorks of Huntsville.

Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL

Visitors can view and take pictures of several different rocket ships outside of the Marshall Visitor Center in Huntsville Alabama.

Huntsville is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where much of the U.S. space program began over a half-century ago. At the facility, NASA engineers and scientists develop and test rocket engines with an emphasis on propulsion and space transportation.

Marshall became a NASA field center on July of 1960. Today, it remains a vital resource for NASA and the nation. Visitors are welcomed at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, which serves as Marshall’s Visitor Information Center. Interactive exhibits provided by the Marshall Center demonstrate how Marshall performs a broad range of activities with developing complex space systems and conducting scientific research projects.

Home of U.S. Space Camp and the site of the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge, the Space & Rocket Center has one of the greatest collections of rockets and space memorabilia anywhere in the world. To learn more about the Marshall Visitor Center and hours of operation go to the Marshal Visitor Center website here.

In addition to being the home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville is also home to the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal. Covering nearly eight square miles, The Redstone Arsenal contains extensive wetland areas associated with the Tennessee River and several local springs, much of which is maintained by the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.

Assisted Living Resident Transportation: Beyond the Occasional Doctor’s Appointment

10 May 2014
Multipassenger minibuses like this one have a wheelchair lift for residents in wheelchairs. MobilityWorks sells and services commercial vehicles of all types, including those used by assisted living centers located throughout the country.

Years ago, a trip to the doctor’s office for a senior housing resident in a wheelchair was often the only connection they had to the outside world. That was yesterday. Today’s message is that people living in assisted living centers and retirement communities can and do remain very active. Brochures and websites for elder care facilities now advertise their ability to provide transportation to hairdressers, shopping centers, religious services, outings and many other daily activities, even on short notice. Adequate transportation enables elderly residents to live more independently and prevent feelings of isolation. For this reason, centers are changing the way they manage and organize outside activities, giving residents more choices on what they would like to do on a daily basis.

“Shuttle buses are moving billboards that provide continuous, visual advertisements of the senior living center to the community.”

What differentiates one facility from another in meeting the needs of active senior lifestyles can often be found outside the center, ready to take a group of seniors on the road. It’s the numerous minibuses and wheelchair-accessible vans, in many shapes and sizes, that provide this valuable service. Assisted living centers with an ample fleet of shuttle buses and wheelchair vans are discovering that their vehicles are a noticeable differentiator. Families that help with evaluating assisted living centers often look to transportation services as an indicator of whether their parent or grandparent is going to be able to continue enjoying the activities they’re accustomed to.

From a marketing perspective, shuttle buses are moving billboards that provide continuous, visual advertisements of the senior living center to the community. For operational and medical purposes, they are vital to the services being provided. While many facilities contract for medical ambulatory type trips, the dynamics and importance to customer satisfaction in getting residents to outside activities has changed how organizations view their transport capacity. By increasing their transportation capabilities and marketing appeal with more activity options, a facility has a greater chance of keeping their units filled.

Centers today can have several multipassenger vehicles on the road at any given time, transporting one or a dozen residents to and from various destinations. Almost all of these transport vehicles have a wheelchair lift and space for wheelchair passengers, a necessary feature in providing mobility and freedom for many residents. Some vehicles can accommodate several wheelchairs, while others can only fit one or two at a time. All wheelchair vans have special tie-down systems in place for keeping wheelchairs in place and for passenger safety.

Whether it’s a 12-person minibus with wheelchair accessibility or a traditional van with a fold-out lift, the right combination of vehicles in a fleet can provide a great service for residents and an opportunity for growth. Successful centers are an active participant with its neighboring communities and the senior group events that bring friends together. Wheelchair-accessible buses and vans provide more opportunities for continued community involvement and increased awareness to potential new residents. The ability to be flexible and creative with providing transport services will become increasingly more important for centers in the future.

To learn more about our Commercial Vans for assisted living centers and senior care transportation, go to MobilityWorks Commercial.

This article was originally written by Guy Hanford for ‘Promoting Excellence’ magazine published by the Health Care Association of Michigan (HCAM). The publication is distributed to long-term care professionals throughout the state of Michigan. Mr. Hanford is the Director of Marketing for MobilityWorks.

2014 New York Metro Abilities Expo

9 May 2014

Thanks to all of those people who stopped by to see us!

MobilityWorks NY Metro Abilities Expo 2014

MobilityWorks truly enjoyed participating in the 2014 Abilities Expo- NY Metro, held last Friday; May 2nd-Sunday, May 4th at the NJ Convention Center in Edison, NJ. Our team had the opportunity to speak with many great people—some of whom we already have the pleasure of knowing and working with, and many new faces too! We were able to answer questions on wheelchair accessible vehicles, rentals, hand controls and more!

The three-day event was filled with a wide variety of educational, informative and FUN activities. Among the highlights were guest appearances by the Sundance Channel’s Push Girls’ Chelsie Hills’ Walk & Roll Dance Team, and Push Girls’ Tiphany Adams; who is an inspiring speaker and dedicated advocate for disability awareness.

In addition, exhibitions on wheelchair ballroom dancing and martial arts therapy were held, as well as a presentation on the amazing ReWalk Robotic Exoskeleton system which helps enable people with lower limb disabilities to walk again.

Thanks to all of those people who stopped by to see us!

Scooter and Power Chair Lifts Now Available for Travelling With Just About Any Type of Vehicle

22 February 2014

Experts emphasize that proper equipment selection and installation are critical to stress-free use with transporting mobility devices.

Top left to right: hoist-style lift, platform drive-on, drive-off lift, and external transport lift. Bottom: Bruno Chariot towing lift for smaller midsize cars. Many different makes and models are available for each style of lift.

From compact cars to minivans, trucks and SUVs, transport solutions for light and heavy-duty assistive devices are now providing many more options for those with a physical disability or health condition. But having the wrong lift added to a vehicle, not designed for the type of scooter or wheelchair, can have costly consequences.

“Our biggest fear is that someone will buy a used or improper lift off the internet and it ends up causing major damage to the mobility device or the vehicle or both,” said Guy Hanford, Director of Marketing for MobilityWorks.

“Everyone in this industry has either heard of, or seen first-hand, horror stories of bad decisions and backyard mechanic installations. I’ve heard of hitches breaking, cars bottoming out, wheelchairs falling off the back and so on. Your heart goes out to people because they’re just trying to save a little money, but in the end it costs them much more than doing it right the first time.”

Doug Curtis is the Director of National Sales for MobilityWorks and has over 25 years of experience with the sales and service of stowage lifts. According to Mr. Curtis, having a Certified Mobility Consultant to help with the selection of the lift — and having a manufacturer approved technician do the installation is critical:

“There’s an old saying: you get what you pay for — and unfortunately that’s especially true for scooter lifts. First, they are not all built with the same quality design and materials. A quality lift will last longer and be safer on the road. Second, they absolutely need to be matched to the vehicle and the chair or scooter being transported… for weight, size, and functionality. And then finally, each device has to be installed by an experienced, trained technician that’s been certified by the manufacturer.”

Peace of Mind and Safety Considerations

To get the right stowage lift for your vehicle and mobility device, contact a Certified Mobility Consultant (CMC) at a quality mobility dealer. Having a lift installed to the manufacturer’s specifications provides peace-of-mind and a longer lasting solution. You will enjoy your freedom and independence more knowing that your mobility device and vehicle are safe to travel… no matter when or where you want to go.

In addition to the 30 MobilityWorks locations in 12 states found here, you can also find a reputable mobility dealer by contacting the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA). Look for a NMEDA Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealer that adheres to the highest level of product quality, service and technician training practices in our industry.

To learn more about the transport devices available for your vehicle, check out our Scooter Lifts page here.

Grateful Pittsburgh Family Organizes “Pay it Forward” Fundraising Event

20 December 2013

DINE & DONATE

This past fall, The MobilityWorks Foundation and our Pittsburgh Team participated in helping an anonymous donor with providing a little girl and her family a wheelchair accessible van. The little girl’s name is Maya Torres. It is our pleasure to tell you that Maya will be turning eight years old this January 8th! …and… as part of her birthday celebration she wants to help others by “Paying it Forward”. Her and her family have organized a fundraiser at a local restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Waterworks Mall that will donate 20% of all the food orders on that day back to The MobilityWorks Foundation.

“The physical burden of lifting Maya’s 100-pound power chair into the car is a thing of the past. With the new van, we simply push a button and the ramp automatically extends from the van. We push Maya in, strap in her chair, buckle her up, and off we go. Not only does having this van eliminate the physical stress we used to endure, but it allows our family to focus on Maya’s other needs. She’s an amazing girl with places to go – thank you for knocking down one more barrier for her.” — Abby Torres

We want to thank the Torres family for their kind gesture – and especially to Maya – a very happy birthday celebration!

Maya with her mom and dad… and new wheelchair accessible van!

DINE & DONATE Pay It Forward Fundraising Event

When: Wednesday, January 8th (Dine at Anytime: 11AM to 10PM)
Where: LaCappella’s Italian Kitchen
1041 Freeport Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
In The Waterworks Mall
Phone: (412) 449-0200
www.lacappellapgh.com/

Thank you to the Torres family for your efforts to help others!

The Pay It Forward Movement

Pay it forward is an expression used for repaying a good deed to help others. Its concept dates back to 1784 and the writings of Benjamin Franklin. In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde published her novel titled Pay It Forward which was later made into a Warner Brothers film. On April 24th, 2013, people from 65 countries participated in “Pay it Forward Day” with individuals working on proclamations in 36 states & 41 cities. The goal of Pay it Forward Day (PIFD) was to inspire over 5 million acts of kindness around the world.

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