Financial Assistance Options for Adaptive Driving
Financial Assistance Options for Adaptive Driving

Categories: Community Life, Transportation

Photograph of a man in a wheelchair, with a woman sitting on his lap, and a van with a ramp in the backgroundBy Guest Blogger Chris Miller, Director of Interactive Marketing, The Mobility Resource

Americans love their wheels. Whether it’s a leisurely drive through a beautiful countryside, hitting the highway for a quick get-away or simply going to work, people look forward to the freedom of mobility. Many individuals with disabilities, however, require varying types of vehicle adaptions to enjoy that sense of freedom. Unfortunately, they often face prohibitive costs when it comes to purchasing the proper equipment for their transportation needs.

The good news is that funding assistance to purchase new adaptive vehicles or to retrofit existing vehicles is becoming increasingly available. Through these programs, people with disabilities have access to rebates and incentives for new vehicles adapted for their specific needs. In some cases, assistance is available for adaptive equipment installed through upfitters – vehicle modifiers or adaptive equipment installers – who will ensure vehicles are adjusted to suit individual needs and are compliant with federal and state guidelines.  Adaptations can include driving devices and equipment, hoists and carriers, seat modifications and power seats, ramps and running boards and other necessary equipment.

Whether you prefer vans or sedans, trucks, SUVs or crossovers, there are a variety of government programs and automaker rebates, as well as private and association-based funds, that can make adaptive mobility equipment more accessible and affordable.

READ MORE ABOUT Financial Assistance Options for Adaptive Driving

3 Comments for Financial Assistance Options for Adaptive Driving
Permalink to Financial Assistance Options for Adaptive Driving

Serving People with Disabilities During and After Isaac
Serving People with Disabilities During and After Isaac

Categories: Disability.Blog News
Photograph of A FEMA Mitigation specialist talking to a Hurricane Isaac survivor

LaPlace, La., Sep. 11, 2012 – A FEMA Mitigation specialist talks to a Hurricane Isaac survivor in a Disaster Recovery Center. Photo courtesy of FEMA.

By Guest Blogger Marcie Roth, Director, Office of Disability and Integration Coordination.

In honor of National Preparedness Month, Disability.Blog is re-posting the following from FEMA Blog.

Even before Tropical Storm Isaac hit the Gulf coast, FEMA disability integration specialists from across the nation were preparing to travel to the areas that would be hardest hit. There, they would join other FEMA personnel and countless others from voluntary and community organizations, local, state and federal government, and the private sector who would answer the call to help the survivors of Isaac’s lingering and widespread deluge of rain and wind.

Right now, FEMA has seven Disability Integration Advisors serving in Louisiana and Mississippi. Their expertise is guiding the actions of the officials who lead FEMA’s response in areas hardest hit by Isaac. They are experts in disability inclusive emergency management who use their knowledge to prevent, address or solve problems for individuals with access and functional needs and their communities.

Our Disability Integration Advisors work with state and local government officials to coordinate and advise on issues such as:

  • The availability of accessible transportation,
  • Evacuations from nursing homes, group homes, assisted living facilities, and people served under state programs, such as mental health and developmental disability programs,
  • Access to prescription medication,
  • Access to medical, personal assistance services and durable medical equipment in shelters.

On a daily basis, they also address the need for access to effective communication such as remote and in-person sign language interpreting, captioning services, public lines in support of video phones and caption phones. In addition, they reach out specifically to the disability community in the affected area and facilitate collaboration with federal, state, local and Tribal government concerning evacuation, application for FEMA assistance, accessible messaging, and cleanup tips.

READ MORE ABOUT Serving People with Disabilities During and After Isaac

Leave a comment for Serving People with Disabilities During and After Isaac
Permalink to Serving People with Disabilities During and After Isaac

Career Connection: Job Interviews – You Made a Mistake, Now What?
Career Connection: Job Interviews – You Made a Mistake, Now What?

Categories: Ask the Expert, Employment

Photograph of Sherry Goldman

By Guest Blogger Shelly Goldman, CEIP, CPCC; Founder, Goldman Group Advantage; Career Coach; Executive Recruiter; and Co-Author of “An Insider’s Guide to Finding a Job”

Have you ever gotten tongue-tied answering a critical question in a job interview? Tripped over your feet as you walked into the room? Shown up to the interview 15 minutes late, wearing a quarter-sized coffee stain on your shirt? Or maybe referred to the company by the wrong name? Let’s face it, mistakes and accidents happen – and during a job interview is no exception.

For every mistake, there’s usually a reason. There was a traffic jam, you got a flat tire, there was a leprechaun standing in the elevator who dumped his latte on you…. Wait a second -this is no time for excuses. Job interviews are make-or-break situations!

Whether you run into bad luck or bad timing, is it possible – in a situation where first impressions are everything – to remedy the situation and get the interview back on track? The answer is yes. Employers expect job applicants to have a few pre-interview jitters and hiring managers expect people to make mistakes.

READ MORE ABOUT Career Connection: Job Interviews – You Made a Mistake, Now What?

3 Comments for Career Connection: Job Interviews – You Made a Mistake, Now What?
Permalink to Career Connection: Job Interviews – You Made a Mistake, Now What?