This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
ALS is one of the suckiest diseases out there – and there is no known cure. Officially Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, but better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a progressive and fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. At any given time, there are as many as 30,000 Americans with ALS* and their prognosis once diagnosed is sadly, only between 2 – 5 years. ALS does not prefer any racial, ethnic or socioeconomic class and primarily strikes people between ages 40 – 70. Only 5% of cases are familial – which means anyone, anytime could get it.
See, that’s really sucky. Maybe you already know about ALS? Maybe you participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge not so long ago? We did, me and the Cupcake. We did it for my father-in-law who passed from ALS. We also did it for a friend of mine, Tony, who currently battles ALS. We also did it to raise awareness of this crappy life-sentence that no one wants.
We’ve seen how ALS robs its victim of their freedom. Their minds are still super sharp, but their bodies just don’t function like they used to and each day, those bodies fight to stay functional. Day in, day out it may seem miniscule, but the progression continues.
What I can tell you is that those with ALS don’t go down without a fight. They’re still desperate to live life to it’s fullest, and they are determined to stay mobile — and that’s where technology can become their best friend.
In the 10-ish years since my FIL passed, I’ve seen amazing strides in the development of products that make life easier for those with disabilities. Just last week, I was in a board meeting with Tony who communicated to us via a device that recognized his eye movement and allowed him to type his message and then dictate it to the room.
Seriously. That’s like the stuff from Mission Impossible movies.
I’ve also seen Tony zip around his office in his motorized “wheelchair” that essentially converts to a segway type mobility device that allowed him to stand or sit. It was all controlled by a joystick.
Earlier when Tony had to make the switch from a sports car to a mobility van, it’s no surprise that his tricked out Toyota BraunAbility van had all the bells and whistles that would make his new normal feel more like an inconvenience than a life sentence. It looks very similar to this one.
a solution that perfect for him, I’d put money on it that he utilized theNMEDA (The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association) to find it. NMEDA offers individualized, in-person evaluations to match the best adaptive wheelchairs, wheelchair accessible vehicles and other mobility equipment for one’s disability and the caretakers who will use it. Independence is a very big deal for those with disabilities, and in dealing with a progressive illness like ALS, finding a solution that can adapt to changing needs is really crucial.
The NMEDA difference starts with their Quality Assurance Program (QAP) which means that an accredited dealer offers: in-person evaluations, specialized training of equipment, 24-hour local emergency roadside services and more. It’s like one-stop shopping for wheelchair ramps, hand controls and steering aids, transfer seats and seating solutions, wheelchair securement and tie downs, scooter lifts and special acceleration and braking solutions for adaptive vehicles.
NMEDA dealers are all required to be QAP accredited and therefore ensuring the highest standards in mobility equipment installations. This unique training program is how NMEDA assures quality, safety, and electro-mechanical integrity of the product delivered to every consumer. You can find NMEDA QAPdealers located in the US and Canada here.
I pray that you and your loved ones are never touched by ALS and I pray that there’s a cure soon. I know that efforts are being made all the time to prolong the lives of those touched by ALS and similar diseases so I’m super I’m thankful for resources like the NMEDA that can take some of the stress out of finding solutions for families of those with disabilities.
For additional information about NMEDA and their QAP dealers, visit NMEDA.
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