technology...
There's nothing more aggravating than upgrading your computer, only to find out that the new keyboard and mouse are absolutely not disability friendly. Our solution: keep using the old ones with the new hard-drive. Thank God for adaptors!
There's nothing more annoying than visiting FIVE different cell phone carriers and not A SINGLE ONE has a phone workable for moderately disabled fingers. Sale clerks seem dumbfounded by the problem, and sympathetically shrug. Our solution: a cheap-o pay as you go phone from Wal-mart that we hot-glued an elastic strip to the back.
BUT, when "modern" technology on vehicles enters the scene, it's a whole new ballgame. Cell phones and mice are modified necessities. A vehicle is an absolute necessity. I really don't care that cars now have computer chip drives in them to make them safer. I could care less that if the manufacturer grants permission to have things rewired they would be in major trouble with insurance companies, or attorneys or whomever else might have some freakish control thing going on. Just let us re-wire what needs to be done to make the vehicle safe for a disabled person to drive. You think your stupid FOB is the way of the future? All it does is make handicapped people struggle to enter buildings and vehicles. Progress? For WHOM? And what companies consider "safe" more often than not means even more unnecessary work and produces potentially dangerous consequences for people who need every advantage they can get. And what REALLY gets my goat is when it's a medical adaptive equipment who is SUPPOSED to be HELPING people get around that makes some rule that actually HINDERS people from living as normal a life as possible.
It's probably a very good thing that I don't have a phone number for Braun Enterprises tonight. It's probably an even better thing that I don't know who the contact person is who has now twice denied a claim to modify "their" equipment.
And Van Products of Raleigh...here's my shout out to you. THANK YOU for ALWAYS going the extra mile for us in trying to make things work IN OUR BEST INTEREST!!! I think it truly makes a difference when a company who sells disability products actually has people with disabilities working there. They truly get it. I'd be curious to know if Braun Enterprises has any disabled people working/selling their vehicles. I truly kind of doubt it.
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