Category — Handicapped Story

When Robert Terhaar decided he wanted to buy a new van that was uniquely suited to his mobility challenges, he turned to the experts at IMED Mobility. “As a driver with a disability for over 25 years, I have driven vehicles that have used a variety of technology that has given people like me the independence a vehicle can,” said Terhaar. “My disability created installation and placement challenges due to my posture and strength.”

Working with Adaptive Experts, IMED Mobility began designing the adaptations for Terhaar’s new wheelchair van six months in advance. Jeff Egge, a service technician at IMED Mobility’sRoseville location, was intimately involved in the adaptations.

“Jeff Egge was exceptional in my most recent inspection for Rob Terhaar,” said Scott Johnson, the Driver Evaluator for Terhaar. “Obviously, there were challenges with this van conversion, and I was amazed at how Jeff adapted the van in many ways.” Johnson referred to the completed, revamped van as a “Mona Lisa” in vehicle adaptation.

After completing the initial wiring, Egge had a personal consultation with Terhaar. They discussed Terhaar’s needs, as well as the strong and weak points of the design, and Egge began to do a “mock up” of the equipment to suit Terhaar’s specifications.

“We took one thing at a time,” said Egge. “I first built a manual adjustable armrest for his left elbow. This is adjustable and removable to fit the original seat back in place.”

Egge adapted the van’s steering mechanisms to be particularly suited to Terhaar’s strengths. “His steering device is a joy stick, but with a single axis,” said Egge. “He has to swing his arm to get it on the joystick, so there couldn’t be anything in the way, but we still needed support for his right elbow.”

Supporting Terhaar’s upper body posed a challenge for Egge, but with some creative thinking, and multiple test runs, he was able to build off the idea of a power armrest. Egge created a small conductor, and using a series of flexible joints and steel rods, along with a limit switch to stop the armrest’s up and down motion, he customized it to provide full support.

Scott Johnson was particularly impressed with this innovation. “The ultimate [adaptation] was the moveable arm rest by push button customized by Jeff for Terhaar to manage movement in the driving position.”

Finally, Egge mounted a switch panel on the floor so that Terhaar could use his feet to adjust the power armrest, Bluetooth, digitone, and voice control. “It is also set up to be totally adjustable and folds down so the driver’s seat can be reinstalled,” said Egge. As a final adjustment, the IMED Mobility team installed extra switches for the rear vent windows and sunroof, while modifying the switches so that they could be more easily accessed and operated.

Terhaar was completely satisfied with the end result. “IMED Mobility delighted me with their ability to think outside the box, work through the issues created by my disability to create a vehicle that is truly a joy to drive and show piece for well thought out controls that meet my, and I think Jeff will agree,  very exacting requirements,” he said.

The installation took countless hours and plenty of thinking outside the box. “Bob is a very smart and direct person and before we finished his van, we could look at each other and know what the other was thinking,” say Jeff. It took many daily adjustments after Terhaar started to drive to get things just right. He recently had both armrest pads covered in the same leather as the van. “It was a challenge and I would do it again,” Jeff says.

Lawrence & Eileen Topf

If you are looking for a quality wheelchair access mobility van, visit IMED Mobility in Tea, SD or check out our online inventory of handicapped vehicles 24 hours a day online. Lawrence and  Eileen Topf of Sloane, Iowa found their vehicle by searching on the internet and stumbling upon IMED’s website.

Before picking up their 2003 mobility van on November 3, 2010, the couple had a van with 87,000 miles. They said that the van was unable to be converted and that they were looking with something that had fewer miles and could accommodate a wheelchair. [Read more →]

Sue Middlestaedt needed a change. In this cold Midwestern climate, standing outside for too long is not favorable. With her Multiple Sclerosis (MS) making it increasingly more difficult for her to move fast and the cold winter months approaching, she did not want to have to walk to the back of the vehicle and hook up her scooter, especially with the amount of time the process would take.

On Monday, October 26, Sue purchased a 2006 Northstar with a transfer seat and hand controls from IMED Mobility in Roseville, Minnesota. This is her first mobility van purchase. Prior, Sue was using a small SUV and a Bruno lift.

Although it will take her a little time to get used to a new vehicle and the position of the hand controls, she said it will help her remain independent and make life a lot easier. [Read more →]

By this time next week, if all goes well, the Bill and Adair Grommesh family of Moorhead will be in a new home – at the same address.

The Grommeshes were “ambushed” Sunday morning at a Fargo ice arena by ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and told that they would be the recipients of a new, handicap-accessible home.

“I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it was happening. Very intense. Very exciting,” Bill Grommesh said of the announcement by the “Extreme Makeover” cast at Southwest Ice Arena.

“It’s still not really sinking in. We still feel like we’re part of this dream. We don’t want the dream to end. We feel so blessed,” Adair Grommesh said. [Read more →]

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.

Finding a good wheel chair accessible hotel can be a challenge. With so many lodging options from which to choose, disabled travelers need a quick way to compare hotels and identify the accommodations that best meet their special needs.

The following trip planning steps serve as a guide to help you choose the right wheel chair accessible hotel that can make the difference between a great vacation or a frustrating trip.

1. Begin by narrowing your list of hotel choices.

While wheel chair accessibility is the top priority for a disabled traveler, many travel agents and travel reservation sites forget that a person with a disability has other needs too.

In addition to good mobility access, disabled travelers are also interested in amenities such as a swimming pool, restaurants in the hotel, pet accommodations, and internet access.

Therefore, look for reservations sites that offer advanced search capabilities that allow you to select the specific accommodations you need and amenities you desire. This will enable you to develop a list of viable lodging choices for your trip.

2. Call the hotel directly and ask questions.

Calling each wheel chair accessible hotel and asking the following questions can quickly determine if the hotel is disability-friendly and right for you.

• “Do you provide special disability services?” This should be the first question you ask. The answer you receive will immediately indicate the property’s experience and desire in assisting disabled travelers.
• “Which floors are the disabled rooms located?” It is important to be on or near the ground floor in case of an emergency, especially when elevators are not in service.
• “Are the disabled rooms ADA compliant?” If the answer is yes (and it should be), ask for specifics on how the room is equipped to accommodate ADA guidelines.
• “Can the beds and other furniture be moved in order to make the room more comfortable and accessible?” Depending on the room size and configuration, you may not need to make any adjustments. Yet, it is a good question to ask particularly if you are unfamiliar with the hotel brand.
• “How high is the bed and is it easily accessible from a standard wheelchair?” Some hotel beds rise 30 inches or more from the floor. While, wheelchair seats may be under 18 inches. Be sure to confirm that the bed height will enable you to easily get into bed without assistance.
• “Does the hotel provide a wheel chair accessible shuttle to nearby tourist attractions and public transportation?”
• “Is disabled or handicap parking available?” You may want to follow-up by asking how many spaces are allocated per wheelchair accessible room.

3. Listen “between the lines.”

A disabled traveler should be listening for clues that indicate the hotel has a good understanding of the difficulties faced by an individual with a disability.

If the reservation desk at the wheel chair accessible hotel is knowledgeable about ADA requirements such as passages, counter heights, door hardware, bathroom fixtures, and roll-in showers, there is a good chance the property frequently serves disabled guests.

However, be wary of a hotel representative that appear to promise too much. If the hotel seems too good to be true… it probably is