Visit MPVA at http://www.michiganpva.org/

The Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America (MPVA) will be hosting their annual open house on Thursday, April 12^th at their Chapter Headquarters located at 4055 Grand River, Novi, MI 48375 from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

MPVA is celebrating 51 years of service in Michigan during PVA Awareness Week. The MPVA is inviting all to come out and join them at to find out more about spinal cord, injury or disease, MPVA services and programs, and to show, support for our veterans and residents with disabilities.

We hope to see you there! Our mobility consultants will be at the MPVA Open House to provide you with valuable information and answer any questions you may have!

Please read on for helpful information for Veterans with disabilities:

To help veterans and service members with disabilities, the Veterans Administration offers financial assist to purchase a new or used vehicle and/or have a vehicle adapted.

To Purchase a Vehicle:

A grant (up to $18,000) is available for those with certain disabilities that resulted from an injury incurred or aggravated during active military service.  These do not need to be repaid.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the eligibility for this grant is for:

• Veterans service-connected for the loss, or loss of use of one or both feet or hands, or service-connected ankylosis of one or both knees or hips.
• Veterans service-connected for permanent impairment of vision of both eyes that have a central acuity of 20/200.
• Non service-connected Veterans are eligible for equipment/modifications that will allow ingress and egress from a vehicle only.

You may only receive the vehicle grant once in your lifetime

To have a vehicle adapted:

The VA will also pay to have a vehicle adapted.  Those qualified for the automobile grant may also qualify for the adaptive equipment grant.

Adaptive equipment includes, but is not limited to, platform wheelchair lifts, UVLs (under vehicle lifts), power door openers, lowered floors/raised roofs, raised doors, hand controls, left foot gas pedals, reduced effort and zero effort steering and braking, and digital driving systems.

For more information, visit Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service

Or, you can always contact us at 800.539.7237 for further information!

Every public swimming pool or hotel pool will be mandated to offer an accessible lift or ramp for people with disabilities.  The date was set for March 15^th 2012 as the deadline, but it has recently been extended for sixty days by the Department of Justice because the demand for lifts or ramps exceeds the availability.  Soon enough, all hotel and public facilities, such as recreational centers and health clubs, will be required to have handicapped-accessible pools.  According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ramps or lifts are required to be permanently affixed- not portable, and must be at every indoor and outdoor swimming pool.  If facilities fail to meet these requirements, they could potentially be fined up to $55,000 or even more.

With summer just around the corner, this will be a great addition to all public indoor and outdoor swimming pools for everyone!

The Creative Mobility Group (CreMo)  is proud to sponsor such a wonderful organization.  This year, The University of Michigan Dance Marathon raised $510,325.76 for rehabilitation programs at C.S. Children’s Mott Hospital in Ann Arbor and Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak.

About the Organization

Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan (DMUM) is one of the largest student-run non-profit organizations on the University of Michigan’s campus. DMUM strives to raise both monetary support and awareness for the needs of pediatric rehabilitation programs.  Each year, hundreds of University of Michigan students stand for 30 hours at the Marathon to demonstrate the perseverance and determination of kids who overcome the physical and mental challenges of every day living with their disabilities.

If you are interested in becoming a Dance Marathon family, you can contact the organization at DMUM.fhr@umich.edu.

Transportation Options for Children with Special Needs

At the event, our mobility consultants had the opportunity to discuss transportation options for parents with children with special mobility needs.  The following outlines mobility solutions available to assist in transporting your child safely and comfortably.  For more information, please contact a mobility consultant at 888-998-4264.  For pictures of the equipment mentioned, please click through the slideshow below.

Wheelchair Accessible Vans

Side-entry and rear-entry minivans are modified vehicles that can accommodate your child in his or her wheelchair.  Wheelchair accessible vans have power or manual ramps that make entry and exit of the vehicle easy.  Once inside the vehicle, you will be able to secure your child and the wheelchair to ensure your child’s safety.  There are manual and automatic securement options.

Non-Occupied Wheelchair Lifts

Wheelchair lifts make loading and unloading your child’s mobility device easy.  One wheelchair lift option is the Armstrong Lift. It allows for a parent to easily load their child’s wheelchair into the rear of the vehicle and still keep their third row seating for all their children! Check out the link to see how the Armstrong works! [More Info]

Entry-Assist Seating

Often used in conjuction with a wheelchair lift is entry-assist seating.  These custom seats have a power rotation that swivel the seat out of the vehicle and lower it to a transfer height.  Entry-assist seating makes transfering your child into the vehicle easy and comfortable for both you and your child. [More Info]

DMUM Slide Show

We really enjoyed meeting with the Dance Marathon families.  Please take a moment to scroll throuhg our slideshow.  We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

This was the first year CMG attended the Carnival of Care event… and what fun we had! The 6th Annual Carnival of Care was created to bring a day of joy to survivors of auto accidents, head injuries, and spinal cord injuries.

The room was filled with love and joy! There were balloons, carnival games, candy, prizes, food… and most of all a lot of fun! We were so thrilled to attend this event because we hope to be a great resource for anyone who may need our services.  If you attended the event and would like to speak with one of our mobility consultants, please feel free to stop by or give us a call.  We are offering a discount on any of our services or products if you attended the Carnival of Care event this year! Don’t wait though… this promotion is only valid through the end of April!

Visit us on Facebook to see more pictures of the event!