National Mobility Awareness Month

COMMUNITY NEWSMay 9, 2016

EMBODYING THE SPIRIT OF LIFE MOVING FORWARD

Did you know that 54 million people in the United States and 4.4 million people in Canada have disabilities? Or that more than 18 million people are living with restrictive mobility issues in North America?

When polled, about a third of people with disabilities reported inadequate transportation as a problem, with more than half noting it as a major problem.

Fortunately, every May the community comes together to support National Mobility Awareness Month, hosted by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA). The event allows people to nominate and vote for Local Heroes, giving three deserving heroes a chance to win wheelchair accessible vehicles. The winners include one caregiver, one senior (60+) and one person in the general category.

NMEDA is a non-profit organization that understands the importance of transportation and is dedicated to expanding mobility options for people with disabilities. The non-profit organization is dedicated to working with members to provider safe and reliable adapted transportation solutions to help build the road to independence.

DID YOU KNOW?

• People with disabilities constitute the largest minority group in the United States.
• One in five elderly have mobility issues.
• More than 65 million people in the United States provide care for people with disabilities or a senior family member.
• Caregivers spend an average of 20 hours per week providing assistance.
• The value of the “free” services provided by family caregivers equates to roughly $375 billion annually.
• 4.4 million Canadians reported having a disability with 56% over 75 years old.
• Researchers estimate about 2.2 million Americans use a wheelchair for mobility.
• The number of veterans with disabilities rose 25% since 2001.
• As the population ages, the number of people with mobility impairments will increase by an estimated 22 percent over the next ten years.

At Q’Straint, we have a variety of personal mobility solutions including the QLK-150, an industry leader in docking system technology.