What's new in Mobility for people with disabilities?

• Text size
  • Larger text
  • Smaller text
• Print page
• Save and share
  • Favorites
  • Del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Technorati
  • Yahoo MyWeb

by Julie Wiest

"We're at a threshold where the possibilities for people with disabilities are going through a renaissance," says Lee Perry, president of Driving Aids Development Corporation in Vienna, Virginia. "The possibilities are growing rapidly." Perry, whose company helps put people with disabilities back in the driver's seat, is especially conscious of this renaissance as it relates to automobile companies' efforts to respond to the mobility needs of the disability community.

Mobility is important for the independence and convenience of all people, but maybe more so for those who have disabilities and require special accommodations for transportation. Many automobile companies are responding to the mobility needs of people with disabilities. According to Perry, the mobility programs are doing a great job of making people aware of the increased options and opportunities out there. Driving assessments, for example, are offered in hospitals and at other locations across the country to evaluate special driving needs. If needed, adaptive equipment can be customized and added to a vehicle to accommodate drivers or passengers with disabilities. To help reduce the costs, some automobile companies even offer a rebate on the added equipment. "More often than not, it pays for the whole thing," Perry says.

The following brief descriptions of the mobility programs of several automobile companies are intended to inform amputee consumers about the variety of assistance available to them.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Ford Motor Company started its Ford Mobility Motoring Program in February 1993,and the company says it provides mobility services to about 10,000 people with disabilities each year. The program offers financial assistance of up to $1,000 for the installation of adaptive equipment on purchases or leases of Ford vehicles. The program also offers roadside assistance and has a database of assessment centers, adaptive equipment dealers and installers by state. The company attends adaptive equipment shows, advertises in a variety of specialty magazines, and sends packets of information upon request. In addition, the mobility program offers a mobility motoring informational video, along with brochures and other printed literature about mobility for people with disabilities and the process of acquiring adaptive equipment.

For more information about the mobility program,call 800/952-2248,or visit Ford 's Web site at www.ford.com

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION

General Motors Corporation and its divisions (including Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac and GMC) started the GM Mobility Program in 1991 to meet the transportation needs of people with disabilities. GM offers up to a $1,000 reimbursement on adaptive equipment added to a purchased or leased GM car, van or light-duty truck for the special adaptive needs of the driver or passenger. In addition to adaptive equipment reimbursement, the GM Mobility Program provides resource information by state, including locations of mobility equipment installers, driver assessment centers and other transportation resources.

In July 2000,GM Mobility, with eGM, partnered with iCan.com, an online community for people who have disabilities. Created through the partnership and launched in November 2000,iCan Auto Channel provides information about vehicles, conversion options, funding and driving programs for people who have special mobility needs. The channel allows feedback options through online forums.

For more information, view the GM Web site at www.gm.com or call 800/323-9935.

SATURN CORPORATION

Saturn Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation, introduced its Saturn Mobility Program in February 1994.The program offers up to a $1,000 reimbursement for adaptive equipment added to an eligible new, certified used or leased Saturn vehicle, including installation costs, for the special mobility needs of the driver or passenger. If alerting devices are needed, Saturn offers up to a $200 reimbursement, and if both adaptive and alerting devices are needed, Saturn offers up to $800 for adaptive equipment and up to $200 for alerting equipment. The Saturn Web site also provides other resources for further information about adaptive equipment and special mobility needs.

For more information, call 800/553-6000, or visit the company 's Web site at www.saturnbp.com

TOYOTA MOTOR SALES

Toyota Motor Sales and Lexus, a division of Toyota, offer assistance toward the cost of qualified aftermarket adaptive equipment installed on eligible new Toyota and Lexus vehicles. According to Toyota, the company is the first Japanese nameplate manufacturer to offer the program. The companies will provide up to a $1,000 reimbursement to each eligible, original retail customer for the cost of purchasing and installing qualifying adaptive driving or passenger equipment on a purchased or leased Toyota or Lexus vehicle. Resource information is also available through the Toyota and Lexus Web sites and dealerships.

For more information about the Toyota Mobility Assistance Program,visit www.toyota.com or call 800/331-4331.For more information about the Lexus Mobility Assistance Program, visit www.lexus.com or call 800/255-3987.

VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC.

The Volkswagen Mobility Access program offers up to a $1,500 reimbursement for adaptive equipment added to a purchased or leased new Volkswagen vehicle for special mobility needs. The program offers up to $1,000 for a wheelchair lift and up to $500 for hand control devices. The Volkswagen Web site also offers additional resources for drivers who have disabilities.

For more information, call the Volkswagen Information Center at 800/DRIVEVW or visit the Web site at www.vw.com

---

Training With Adaptive Mobility Devices
by Julie Wiest

Maybe you know that you need adaptive equipment for driving. Maybe you 've even found an automobile company with a mobility program to help with the cost. Now what? How do you learn to adapt to the new equipment and drive safely with it? It may be unfamiliar, and adjustment can be difficult.

Special driver rehabilitation centers offer driving assessments, instruction and hands-on training to help drivers with special needs become familiar and comfortable with their new equipment. One company, for example, offers three different assessments. First, the clinical assessment evaluates a person's driving skills, visual perception and cognition. Second, the behind-the-wheel assessment uses the results from the clinical assessment to determine the person's driving abilities. And third, the adaptive driving equipment assessment evaluates the person's adaptive equipment needs and makes recommendations. The program also provides a review of the rules of the road and good driving habits, driving practice initially on a closed driving area and, later, in traffic, and practice using adaptive driving devices. There are many programs like this one across the country, and some insurance providers may even cover the costs of using assessment and rehabilitation centers.

"With all the modern equipment today, there is no reason that a person with an amputation shouldn't have a productive life," says Pamela G. Clark, PhD, director of clinical development for INTEGRIS Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation. "The largest barrier to getting people with disabilities back into productive life is often themselves." People who have disabilities need to choose independence, and mobility is a very important step in obtaining that independence. Adaptive equipment helps make mobility possible, but training with the new equipment is critical in developing safe driving habits. Drivers should feel comfortable and confident with their new equipment, and driver assessment and rehabilitation centers can help.

A great place to find more information or a driver rehabilitation specialist in your area is The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists' (ADED) Web site at www.driver-ed.org (look under "fact sheets" or "directory" from the homepage). Or call the ADED at 800/290-2344.

© Copyrighted by the Amputee Coalition of America. Local reproduction for use by ACA constituents is permitted as long as this copyright information is included. Organizations or individuals wishing to reprint this article in other publications, including other World Wide Web sites must contact the Amputee Coalition of America for permission to do so.