“We established Operation Independence in 2011 to help educate our disabled military service men and women about federal grants and mobility options available to them,” said Doug Eaton, president of Vantage Mobility International. “We wanted to support a group of people who have sacrificed so much for this country. So we were excited when Toyota Motor Sales USA agreed to donate a Sienna SE for the Operation Independence Star Spangled Salute contest.”

All disabled veterans are eligible to enter the Star Spangled Salute contest. The winner, who will be randomly drawn on November 11, 2013, will receive a new Sienna SE, which was donated by Toyota Motor Sales USA and features the Access 360 In-floor Ramp Conversion system that is being donated by VMI.  To enter the Operation Independence Star Spangled Salute contest and for contest rules, terms and conditions, visit www.VantageMobility.com.

For more information on this and other great promotions, please contact one of our Mobility Specialists today!!
www.adaptivedriving.com

Brent Key, our ADA Corpus Branch Manager, enjoying the game.

Adaptive Driving Access of Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Hooks baseball team have partnered together to bring awareness to the mobility industry.  This past Thursday was opening night for the Hooks, so the ADA Corpus crew loaded up and went to the game to support the Hooks.  As part of the partnership with the Hooks, ADA Corpus has sponsored several areas of Whataburger Field, including signs for the wheelchair accessible elevator, wheelchair accessible seating and wheelchair accessible ramp.  If you have never been to Whataburger Field and seen the Hooks play, we highly recommend it.  It is one of the most wheelchair accessible locations in South Texas and it is definitely a good time. As always, ADA is here to serve all of your mobility needs. We have new and pre-owned wheelchair vans from BraunAbility and VMI. Stop by and see us today!

For tickets and more info on the Hooks, please visit:
http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t482

To submit your story, click the link and follow the instructions: http://www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com/local-heroes/

For more information on National Mobility Awareness Month and how you can get involved, please visit:   www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com

Adaptive Driving Access is happy to announce we have launched a new program to help support ALL Texas Veterans by discounting both New and Used wheelchair accessible conversion vehicles. All any Veteran needs is proof of Military service (DD-214) and they will receive a $500 discount on any handicap accessible vehicle in ADA’s inventory (some exceptions may apply). Everyone at our three ADA locations (Houston – Pasadena – Corpus Christi) are excited about this new program to help Texas Veterans gain independence. ADA maintains one of the largest inventories of NEW and PRE-OWNED wheelchair accessible vans in Texas. We currently sell new conversion vans by BraunAbility, Viewpoit, VMI, Tuscany and ElDorado and new trucks by MobilitySVM. Our used wheelchair vans go through an extensive pre-buy inspection and certification program to ensure quality. We Salute those who served our Nation!

ADA proudly serves all of Texas to include Houston, Pasadena, Corpus Christi and other surrounding areas. These areas include Friendswood, Deer Park, Baytown, Clear Lake, Pearland, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Stafford, Galveston, League City, Webster, Texas City, Cypress, Spring, Humble, The Woodlands, College Station, Kingwood, Tomball, Conroe, Atascocita, Jersey Village, Magnolia, Sugar Land, Katy, Huntsville, Kingsville, Portland, Odem, Sinton, Robstown, Aransas Pass, Port Aransas, Victoria, Alice, Mathis, Refugio, Port Lavaca, Harlingen, McAllen, Goliad, Rockport, Brownsville, the Rio Grande Valley and everywhere in between!

For more information, visit our website: http://www.adaptivedriving.com

The Braun Corporation, the leading manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vehicles and wheelchair lift systems, recently honored Adaptive Driving Access with the Customer 1st Award. The award recipients were selected based on customer survey results over the course of 2012.

ADA is proud to be the exclusive BraunAbility dealer in both the Greater Houston and Corpus Christi Regions. ADA maintains the largest inventory of NEW and PRE-OWNED wheelchair accessible vans in Texas. Their used wheelchair vans go through an extensive pre-buy inspection and certification program to ensure quality. Whatever your mobility need is, they can help with superior service: before, during and after the sale!

BraunAbility has over 200 dealer locations nationwide, and each is staffed with mobility experts who are trained to evaluate the individual needs of customers. In addition, most locations offer 24-hour roadside emergency assistance, so customers have the assurance of support and service for their BraunAbility wheelchair accessible vehicle, even in the middle-of-the-night or on a holiday weekend.

“Our customers rely on their dealers to provide a sales and service experience that addresses their unique needs.” says Braun President Nick Gutwein. “These dealers have gone above and beyond in meeting their customers’ needs and building life-long relationships with them.”

For more information about Adaptive Driving Access, visit www.adaptivedriving.com.

ADA is very excited to have received this AMAZING award! We are dedicated to serving our customers and we can help with superior service: before, during and after the sale!

There are no words to express the impact Ralph has had on the mobility industry and Adaptive Driving Access, as well as the many lives he has touched. Please keep Ralph and his family in your prayers.

RALPH WILLIAM BRAUN

December 18, 1940  -  February 8, 2013

Ralph William Braun, Founder and CEO of The Braun Corporation, passed away Friday, February 8, 2013 in Winamac Indiana. He was 72.

Ralph was born on December 18, 1940 to Joseph J. and Olive M. Braun in Winamac, IN. He was a pioneer in the mobility industry, struggling with SMA from a young age. Out of a need to improve his own mobility, Braun built his first three-wheel scooter in 1962. Realizing that there were many others like him, he started his own company developing and manufacturing several mobility products. This began in 1963 when he started Save-A-Step Manufacturing. This eventually grew into The Braun Corporation in 1972. What began as a solution to his own mobility needs grew to a company that would eventually change thousands of lives. In 2006, The Braun Corporation adopted the brand name, BraunAbility for its products. Today his company has grown into a world-wide corporation, with its headquarters still based in Winamac, IN.

In 2010, Ralph Braun released his autobiography, Rise Above. He then started The Ralph Braun Foundation as a way to assist the disabled population with purchasing mobility equipment. As a recipient of many awards and honors, Braun’s recognition began in 1979 when he received the Employer of the Year Award from the Commission for the Handicapped and the Indiana State Board of Health. Since that time, he has been featured on television and in many newspaper and magazine articles for his success and drive to improve the lives of others with disabilities. In 2012 he was awarded the “Champion of Change” from The White House. He was also honored with the Support of the Guard and Reserves Patriot Award. This award is for his dedicated support and flexibility offered to employees serving in the military. Ralph’s most recent award was a bronze plaque from the Adaptive Driving Alliance for being the leader and pioneer for mobility products. Braun was a life-long model airplane enthusiast and member of the Winamac Aero Modelers Club.

Ralph Braun’s survivors include his wife of eight years, Melody, his children Cherie (Paul) Braun-Diaz, Todd (Amy) Braun, Brent Braun, Drew (Lisa) Braun, Melissa (Nathan) Dennis, and eight grandchildren Nathan and Alison Diaz, Brittney and Brady Braun, Quentin, Justin, and Caitlin Haley, Lindy Dennis, his step children Aaron (Carrie) Gutwein, Anthony (Jennifer) Gutwein, Allison (Daryl) Starr, Adrienne (Nick) Vollmer, 7 step grandchildren and one sister Joan Heath. Ralph was preceded in death by his father Joseph J. Braun in 1986 and mother Olive M. Freeman Braun in 2012.

Ralph was a loving father, dedicated husband and wonderful friend to many. Over the years, his involvement and donations to our community were too numerous to mention. He will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to The Ralph Braun Foundation at P.O. Box 310, Winamac, IN 46996.

Adaptive Driving Access

This new vehicle will help them to assist some of Houston’s homeless that are physically disabled. They will be able to take them to shelters, food kitchens, and receive medical attention. Once a month they have an outreach day that includes helping the local homeless and also cleaning up areas that are known to house the homeless.

The Homeless Outreach Team has done an great job of helping our community and Houston’s homeless; and ADA is so proud to work with an amazing organization.

For more information on the HPD Homeless Outreach Team, please click HERE

Team ADA

Adaptive Driving Access would like to thank everyone who stopped by our booth at the 2013 Houston Auto Show! We had a great time and enjoyed showing the public all of the exciting new mobility vans and accessibility products that are currently available. We proudly displayed vans from BraunAbility and VMI, as well as, seating and lift aids from Bruno. We also had a Mobility SVM truck that really caught a lot of people’s attention! Of course we enjoyed visiting with all our existing friends and customers that stopped by as well. We are excited to get 2013 started and look forward to helping Texas with all its mobility needs! Be sure to contact one of our Mobility Specialists to hear about all of our AMAZING specials that we have going on right now! We hope to see everyone again soon and thanks again for the support!

If dance is an expression of the human spirit, then it is best expressed by people of all abilities. That is the fundamental belief behind the Dancing Wheels Company & School. Considered one of the premier arts and disabilities organizations in the U.S., Dancing Wheels is a professional, physically integrated dance company uniting the talents of dancers both with and without disabilities.

Mary Verdi-Fletcher, the first professional wheelchair dancer in the U.S., founded the Dancing Wheels Company in Cleveland in 1980. Born with spina bifida, Mary wanted to offer others with disabilities full and equal access into the world of dance. An almost unimaginable concept at the time, Mary’s vision and passion have since helped to revolutionize our very notion of dance – as well as what defines a dancer.

Furthering the mission of inclusive arts and recreation opportunities for all, the School of Dancing Wheels proudly opened its doors in 1990. Its state-of-the-art studios were soon regarded as a world-class training center for dancers, choreographers and educators. That same year, a partnership with the Cleveland Ballet created the ground-breaking Cleveland Ballet Dancing Wheels which went on to delight audiences for nearly a decade.

To date, the Dancing Wheels Company’s inspirational mission has touched over 5 million people through performances, school assemblies, residencies and workshops. Millions more have enjoyed their artistry via appearances on CNN, Good Morning America, and the TV special “Christopher Reeve: A Celebration of Hope.”

Now part of Professional Flair, Inc., a 501(c) arts and disabilities organization, Dancing Wheels continues to travel the globe advocating disability awareness and entertaining 30,000-50,000 people each year. With a repertory of over 40 works from nationally-esteemed choreographers and a message of inclusion and accessibility, the Company continually expands the reach of artistic possibilities while celebrating the universal spirit of dance.

For more information, please visit: www.dancingwheels.org