Fresh Perspectives

Driving with a Disability II

In my prior post, I gave you a summary overview about driving with a disability.  Today, I'd like to expand on that.

Again, primary driving controls are gas, brake and steering while secondary controls include everything else.  The systems I will be using come from 2 companies; Drive Master and EMC.  As you might imagine, there are not many companies around that manufacture products like this.  It is a specialty, and I'm sure the liability exposure, hence the cost of insurance, is considerable.  That applies to the dealer network as well.  Installing these systems requires specialized expertise, and generally the dealers offer driver training and evaluations as well as installation.  The company I'm working with locally has been doing this for well over 20 years, and they are indeed experts.  

I'll be using mechanical horizontal steering which connects to the steering column.  It can be adjusted on all planes.  Drive Master also retrofits steering boxes and rack and pinions for reduced and zero effort steering.  Among other innovative products, they offer backup steering systems as well.

I'll also be using the gas/brake system from EMC.  Their entire EMC system is called AEVIT (Advanced Electronic Vehicle Interface Technology).  They also offer secondary interface controls and "drive by wire" steering.  Their website is extremely informative.  This page gives a very nice overview of the AEVIT  driving system. 

Another very innovative company in this arena is MPD, Mobility Products and Design.  The hand control in my current van is an MPD product.  It is amazingly reliable, even after 11 years of use. 

Learning to drive with these devices is a little challenging and will require over 10 hours of training.  Mr. Keller has an older trainer van and is in the process of outfitting a new one.  You can imagine the expenses involved in such a specialty, hence the reason for the high cost at the consumer level. This is indeed a very specialized business, and the companies and dealers involved are indeed quite innovative.

I'm enjoyed doing this research.  I hope you enjoy it as well. 

How Full is your Bucket?

Today, I received a complimentary copy (from Gallup Press, Cave Henricks Communications) of the book How Full is your Bucket by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton.  The original book was published in 2004, and this is the anniversary edition.

I read the entire book in about 45 minutes.  It uses the "Dipper and the Bucket" metaphor to illustrate the power of the positive, and it does so magnificently!  It is a deeper study of the words in the Dale Carnegie book How to Win Friends and Influence People, "Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise, but do so sincerely".  It seems our entire society is rooted in attempting to change behavior through negative means.  This book is a shining light of change.

I will be purchasing this book for my co-workers.  And, I would recommend it to everyone as well.

Driving with a Disability

I'm going through a process of a new wheelchair, new van, and home modifications to accommodate my current and future needs.  Today was interesting!  Unlike my current situation, I'll soon be driving from the wheelchair.  And in order to accommodate my needs for the next 10 or so years, I'm converting to an electric brake/accelerator system, and horizontal steering with zero effort.  These are known as "primary" controls.  As a result of the change in primary controls, the "secondary" controls will change too.  I'm looking at a computer controlled modular system to handle things such as lights, turn signals, gear changes, wiper controls....all of the secondary functions. 

The picture above left shows the hand control I currently use (past 11 years).  It is called a right-angle hand control, and is basic and simple.  The new system is similar, but involves electric assist and is mounted to the immediate left of the driver at arm level.

Today, I did some real on-the-road driving using this system in a training van.  Jim Keller, owner of Keller Wheelchair Lifts, is the driving teacher and an expert in the systems available today.  After a series of adjustments, we developed placement criteria for equipment, and I got to drive with the controls.  It went very well!

If any of you readers are going through something similar and you are apprehensive, please do get in touch with me.  What I'm doing comes down to one mental aspect; the ability to accept and embrace change.  I've learned the hard way, folks.....NEVER let fear lead your life and learn to love change.

New Blog

Check out my new blog, Education Perspectives.  There is an additional link to it at the top of this blog.  Fresh Perspectives is alive and well, but is reserved for personal entries.  Education Perspectives is about an issue I'm passionate about.

Timeless Music!

Some things are just timeless. I'm a fan of Eric Clapton, and I love this rendition of "Sweet Home Chicago". Check it out......

GM - A Lesson Learned?

General Motors is now officially "Government Motors", no longer listed on NYSE.  The reasons are obvious...GM remained an old company whose management style remained in a 1950's mindset.  In the 1980's, W. Edward Deming predicted what is happening now to GM and other companies in the same situation.  And Bob Sutton clearly reflected this mindset in a blog post.

When will we learn?  The learning is happening in the auto industry at Ford Motor Company.  They operate lean in much the same way as Toyota, and they have trimmed down their vehicle offerings.  Ford is now setting the pace for American business.  They are learning to compete globally; GM never learned that! 

Having spent 30 years in public education I can tell you, however, that American public education will learn more slowly.  Education, and more specifically career/technical education, needs to be reflective of the direction industry is taking.  That happens slowly because public education is an extension of the government bureaucracy that created it.  Education remains in the "top down" management mindset where the customer (student) isn't always the priority.  But in this time of unprecedented change, I see a glimmer of hope for public education....the mindset is beginning to change.  Because for public education to survive, it must change!  I hope to be part of that.