Ohio Helps Out Persons with Disabilities

Other Interesting Articles  |  04/19/2011 7:00 am

Barbara Floyd, the director of the Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections, recently discussed the book "From Institutions to Independence: A History of People With Disabilities in Northwest Ohio," which was published by The University of Toledo Press, on “Deadline Now” Friday, April 15.

During the program, Floyd, who edited the book, brought to light the importance of continually developing and improving the services available to those with disabilities.

“For most of our country’s history, people with disabilities have been invisible, locked away in their own homes by families who felt ashamed,” Floyd said. “It is important to all of us that disability history is finally being discovered.”

Floyd is one of a number of local Ohioans who are striving to bring greater awareness to persons with disabilities, and although her avenue of activism is public speaking, other locals are helping by providing other life-changing products and services.

MobilityWorks of Ohio is passionate about providing quality and affordable vehicles to persons with disabilities. The company understands the challenges many wheelchair owners face, and it prides itself as currently being the country’s leading provider of wheelchair minivans. They even have several showrooms located within the state.

Many persons with disabilities are confined to a wheelchair, due to physical or neurological injuries, diseases, and conditions. Over the course of the last two decades, wheelchair design has increased dramatically to improve size and mobility, however, wheelchairs are still not easy to load into and out of cars. That’s where wheelchair mini-vans come in.

A wheelchair minivan, also known as an adaptive van, is a vehicle specifically designed to transport wheelchairs and those using them easily. The modified interiors of adaptive vans provide additional room and security features to wheelchair users to make getting in and out easier and to prevent injury that could be caused if the wheelchair were to move while the vehicle is in motion.

In addition to wheelchair minivans, wheelchair users have many other vehicle options available to them. They may also purchase lowered floor minivans, full-size vans, and commercial fleet vehicles to suit their specific needs.

Purchasing a wheelchair minivan is relatively inexpensive too. For Ohio residents interested in buying an adaptive vehicle may secure financing through MobilityWorks. State and federal governments also provide grants to certain persons with disabilities, such as veterans, to aid them in their purchase of an adaptive minivan. For wheelchair owners or business owners only needing to accommodate their wheelchair for a short duration of time, such as after a bad accident or while doing business with a client, MobilityWorks also offers wheelchair minivans rental.