This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.
How many of you woke up this morning, jumped out of bed, rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower, got dressed, ran downstairs to the kitchen for some quick breakfast and then hopped into your car to drive to work? Sounds like a familiar routine? Of course it is. I am pretty sure this scene is repeated in many households across America. Many of us don’t even think twice about it. After all, it’s not that hard at all to get ready for work. It’s just routine. Well, it might be really easy for you but for a person with disabilities, this whole exercise can be a very daunting task. Something as simple as this can be really hard for a person with disabilities. Not only is it hard for them, but it’s pretty tough for their caregivers as well. The good news however, is that in today’s modern society; there are many ways to make life a little easier for them. There are a lot of wheelchairs, wheelchair vehicles and other aides to help people with disability regain more freedom and mobility in life. Now the bad news. I am sure many of you are aware that there are just so many out there, how do we know which is good and which one is the right fit for you? You see ads for them everywhere, on TV, in the newspapers and on the Internet. How do you know which is good for you? Sometimes buying something that doesn't fit always does more harm than good.
Thankfully, there is NMEDA. NMEDA, you might ask? What’s that? Well, NMEDA (National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association) is a non-profit trade association that advocates providing safe, reliable vehicles and modifications to enhance accessibility for all people. Not only that, they are also the only association that promotes safe driving and equipment for disabled people. Yes, they are non-profit and their members are required to adhere to the safety standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This means that NMEDA do not sell anything. The NMEDA dealers (members) are the ones who sell handicap vans and vehicle modifications for disabled people.
You might be wondering, so, why should I buy from a NMEDA qualified dealer? Well, one of the biggest advantages you get when you buy from a NMEDA qualified dealer is that they conduct on-site evaluations to custom fit vehicles to your specific needs. Let’s take a moment to think about this. Just like everyone else, there are no two people with a disability that is exactly the same, right? So why should their wheelchair vehicles be exactly the same? Exactly! This is why you should be careful of adapted wheelchair vehicles sold over the Internet or through catalogs. Why waste your money on something that might not be right for you? When you buy from a NMEDA dealer, you give a personalized “in-person” evaluation, so you can be sure that you are getting the right driving solution customized to your specific lifestyle and needs. If you need additional training or product refinements, your NMEDA dealer will always be there to help you.
Apart from having just dealers, NMEDA also has Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers. The Quality Assurance Program (QAP) is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. It is based on the principle that in order to satisfy customers consistently, companies must have a systematic and documented approach to quality. It’s really simple. What this means is, that in order to be a QAP dealer, your company must not only have high quality and safe equipment but you must also meet the satisfaction of your customers.
After hearing about NMEDA, I went headed over to nmeda.org to read up more about them. On their homepage, you can hit the dealers locator, type in your zip code and see if there is a qualified dealer near you. I did just that and found that there are quite a few in my area. You should try it to. Let me know once you have found your closest qualified dealer! Thank God that none of my family members or myself do not need a wheelchair right now, but it’s always good to know NMEDA is always there to help if we ever need one. After going through all the information, I am now convinced that with the help NMEDA dealers, the elderly or disabled can get back onto the road of independence. Really, life doesn't have to be this tough.
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