Hey, guys!
 
First off, thank you for taking the time to check this out. Starting a GoFundMe for a wheelchair-adapted vehicle has been something on my mind for a long time now, and with a really great push from my family and loved ones and the motivation to drive myself around the city, the state, and the country — here we are!

I was born with a physical disability, Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC), that intrinsically imparts an arthritic effect on my body — mainly in my arms, legs, and back. That said, I am  significantly limited in my hand dexterity, walking , and other realms of mobility depending on the circumstances. Thankfully it is a static condition, assuming I maintain good health, and I have surpassed a fair share of obstacles involving it both directly and indirectly.

I am now 23 years old renting an apartment in Henderson, Nevada with my cousin; my incredibly supportive and loving boyfriend; my family right across town;  a really great job; and a semester away from  earning my Psychology degree at the University of Las Vegas-Nevada with minors in Neuroscience and Family Studies. While I have a few short term goals to accomplish (including a career in Pediatric Speech Language Pathology), my longterm goal is to attend an osteopathic medical school and eventually attain residency in a field of pediatrics.

Since entering semi-adulthood, lack of reliable transportation has been, by far, the greatest setback in achieving my academic, vocational, and personal goals. My motor wheelchair cannot be conveniently placed in just anyone’s car and accessible taxis are too costly for daily use.
 
My current method of transportation is the RTC Paratransit service here in Las Vegas. It is a ride-share system wherein multiple passengers are picked up/dropped off in one go. This is very similar to the Uber Pool system, but with a handful more of people. However, they are unreliable and bureaucratic, to say the least. While I am grateful that this service exists for people with disabilities, my standards for independence and efficiency are much higher than what they are capable of offering.
 
In addition, it is a service that I pay for. And while it is cheaper than Uber or taxis on a daily basis, you certainly get what you pay for…
-      Rides must be scheduled in advance and no same-day changes are permissible.
-      The service only operates during local city bus hours and stays within specific parameters of Southern Nevada.
-      Pickup times are almost never close to the desired time you enter. If you request a pickup for 2:30 PM, they will likely offer a time anywhere from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM or so.
-      Pickup times are actually 30-minute windows, and fairly frequently they’ll show up well past these 30 minutes.
-      If you enter to get dropped off to a location by a specific time, they have to pick you up at least an hour and a half in advance no matter the distance.
-      Passengers are required to be outside waiting for their bus at the start of their 30-minute window until it shows up. If it is late and you go inside, you will miss the bus and they do not come back or send another one for you.
-      On average, I will spend anywhere from 2-6 hours commuting between work, university, other responsibilities, and home, despite the distances being but 15-30 minutes from each other.
 
This enormous lack of efficiency has been a hindrance on my lifestyle long enough. I want to be able to show up to the office early; stay at the coffee shop studying late; drive to internships, graduate school lectures, medical school; make last minute plans with family, friends, meetings, etc.! 
 
There are a lot of moving parts that go into this, so final costs will surely be readjusted; however, my current goal of $95,000 will go towards:
-      20% down payment on the vehicle that will be modified
-      the purchase of the adaptive driving equipment for the accessible vehicle ~$68,000+
-      the installation of the adaptive equipment & other modifications labor ~$TBA
-      the driving evaluation by an occupational therapist ~$300
-      the mandatory adaptive driver’s training for people with disabilities operating adapted vehicles (done out-of-state, as there are no specialists in Nevada for the specific equipment I need) ~$TBA
-      an 8.25% sales tax on total purchase price

The photo at the top is an example of the kind of vehicle I need, and the following is a video on the variety of adaptive hand controls available for such vehicles.
 
All matters considered, any and all contributions are a huge help. Thank you, again, for letting me share this slice of my life with you and I can’t wait to finally reach this goal and be driving around the town wherever and whenever I please!


Check out below the different pieces of adaptive driving equipment available that will aid in my independent driving!
Ability Center | Electronic Driving Aids