Category — Disabilities
Affording Your Wheelchair Van
Depending upon your budget, you might not know whether you should buy a new or used wheelchair accessible van. If you want the latest model van and conversion, and you do not want to drive something that another person has driven, you should buy new. Those who are on a budget or who do not care if they have the latest model may want to check out the used vans in stock.
To find the best mobility van for your needs, you will want to contact one of our reps for a consultation. If you decide you need some extra help in affording a van, our mobility consultants can help you with a lender and/or their local bank.
August 16, 2010 Comments Off
Mouth Painting Artist, Author Purchases Van From IMED Mobility
Jack Reich, mouth painting artist and author, came to IMED Mobility in Tea, SD yesterday, accompanied by his daughter Kathy, to pick up his silver 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with the Amerivan Conversion by Eldorado. This is Jack’s first wheelchair accessible van.
Jack was born with a birth defect that limited the use of his arms and legs. He overcame these issues in his own way, learning to paint and draw with his mouth and became a member of the Association of Foot and Mouth Painters of the World. He focuses his paintings on country inspiration he has found living in western South Dakota.
He also has written three novels. Jack likes to focus on the Sioux Indians and would categorize his novels as fantasy fiction in the way that they do not depict life as it happened but perhaps the way it should have happened.
Jack has three daughters and is from Isabel, SD.
August 13, 2010 Comments Off
Twitter Causes Dispute, Air Canada Fixes Wheelchair Broken At Airport
A terminally ill boy whose specialized wheelchair was broken on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to New York has been given it back after the airline had it fixed.
Tanner Bawn, 10, his aunt and his mother arrived at La Guardia Airport on Wednesday and discovered the boy’s $15,000 custom wheelchair in pieces. The boy, a native of Kamloops, B.C., suffers from Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.
Shortly after 2 p.m. ET, Scott Stratten, a self-described viral and social marketing expert who is accompanying the family on the trip to New York, said Bawn’s repaired wheelchair has been returned.
Bawn’s family was planning to take part in a charity run called Tutus for Tanner in New York City on Friday.
The boy’s aunt, Catherine Connors, who runs the parenting blog Her Bad Mother, tweeted about the incident Wednesday night after arriving at La Guardia airport.
Connors said the family was devastated and, without a proper wheelchair, the boy was confined to his hotel bedroom, unable to get around.
The story struck a nerve and was picked up by hundreds of people on Twitter who lambasted Air Canada for the incident.
Around 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Air Canada issued a response on Twitter to the issue: “We’re sorry Tanner. We’re working w/ yr family 2 make this up 2 you ASAP @herbadmother”.
Family disputed Air Canada account
Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for Air Canada, said in an email to CBC News that Air Canada had “immediately” sent the broken chair out for repairs.
“We also supplied a manual wheelchair and later in the evening an electric wheelchair for his use in the interim.
“Once we learned the replacement chair was inadequate, we got in contact with the family to see what we could do for them. Because the chair is custom-made, it is difficult to get it repaired or replaced quickly, but we are doing all we can.”
The Bawn camp quickly disputed that account.
Stratten said the Air Canada response has “so many lies it’s not even funny.
“They did not send an electric wheelchair last night, there was one sitting in the lobby this morning that was not adequate. We were never told it was there,” he said in an email. “They never called to say it, they never called after hearing it was inadequate and the replacement that just got here is a scooter people use to go shopping, and is worse than the first.”
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/08/05/air-canada-twitter-chair541.html#ixzz0vlWVf2TL
August 5, 2010 Comments Off