Vehicle Modifications Bring this Family Together 

By, Erin Lauridsen

Robin Clark loves exploring her neighborhood and her community with the company of her family and pet dogs. But she hasn’t always been able to lead the active life she does now. Seven years ago, diabetes forced her to stop working as a school bus driver in California, a job she loved, and had worked at for 15 years. She moved to Washington to live with her son and grand-daughter, but soon afterwards, increasing medical problems restricted her to her home. She could not stand for more than 3 minutes, or walk long distances, and was only able to take her dog just outside the front door.

Fortunately, times have changed for Robin. She tried applying for a loan from a scooter manufacturer, but was denied because of her limited income. A year and a half ago, her son applied to the manufacturer, and his loan was approved. Robin was overjoyed. Now she could take the dogs on their morning walk, even letting them ride with her on the scooter. Robin lives in a centrally located apartment in Kirkland, and with the scooter, she can enjoy everything her neighborhood has to offer. She takes trips to grocery stores, to MacDonald’s, and to a craft store. She uses her scooter so much that she already is on her 3rd set of tires!

Although Robin thoroughly enjoyed the mobility she gained from the scooter, she was still limited in where she could go. The four-wheeled scooter requires more turning radius than city buses provide. So Robin used Access and Hope Link to get to appointments and places that were too far to drive on the scooter. She wished that she could travel with her son and grand-daughter, and not have to schedule rides in advance.

About four months ago, Robin’s son purchased a van so that Robin could travel with them.  But Robin still needed a way to load and unload her scooter. She contacted Bridge Ministries, an organization that recycles used equipment for people with disabilities, and they referred her to the Washington Assistive Technology Foundation. Robin applied for a WATF loan to purchase portable tracks to load the scooter into the back of the van. During the loan application process, WATF staff suggested that Robin also refinance her scooter, to take advantage of WATF’s much lower interest rate. In less than 2 weeks, her loan was approved, and she purchased the tracks.

Now, Robin is thrilled to be able to go places with her family. The day after getting the tracks, Robin went to the movies for the first time in years. "It was a blast!” Robin exclaimed, “I had so much fun, and then the next week we did it again." Robin also enjoyed a Mother’s Day trip to Pike Place market with her family. She had been hoping to visit Pike Place since moving to Seattle 7 years ago, and had a fabulous time shopping for fresh bread and cheese, and seeing the sights.

Now, Robin is looking forward to the possibility of a family vacation to Vancouver B.C. "I feel like a member of the family again instead of having to stay home."
Robin also mentioned the peace of mind she feels because of WATF’s micro loan program. She knows that if her scooter ever needs repairs, she’ll have somewhere to turn for speedy low interest financing.