My experience over the past eight years has been that many companies who provide services to quadriplegics provide a low level of service (and typically at a higher price). I think that is because they are small specialized companies who don't have a lot of competition.
Severely disabled folks like us have an increased need for services, and a decreased ability to pay for them. There are some companies out there (such as a local landscaping company, in my case) who provide services at a discount or free to the long-term seriously disabled. I used to rake my own leaves, and paint my own house, and change my own oil, and so forth. Now our family has to pay people to do all these things. I keep wondering if there might be a way to create a directory of local companies that will offer service discounts to people with long-term disabilities. Or if there might be a way to identify and advertise local community minded businesses, and subsidize services. For example, I'd like to find restaurants who would give a discount to people in wheelchairs. After all, I can't visit most people in their own homes, and I cannot be as hospitable as I would like to be here at my house, and so local restaurants would be a great place to get together. And I would like to be able to buy discounted restaurant certificates as a way to say thank you to volunteers who come and help with household tasks. If anybody has interest in this sort of thing, or has contacts at a nonprofit which has programs along a similar line, please let me know. Thanks, and take care, Dave Krehbiel From: Danny Hearn [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, April 22, 2016 12:37 PM To: RONALD L PRACHT; Quad-list Post Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] just another day in quadadise Glad you got it Ron, you are right about trying to not get mad or hold resentments towards people because all that does it harms the one holding that stuff inside...On other hand though if a person tells you they will come in one of the next 3 days it is a shame they can't at least call and let you know about it, could be he just forgot or had other things of life come up on him. hope you get it going soon, let us know. Dan H** On Thursday, April 21, 2016 10:49 PM, RONALD L PRACHT <[email protected]> wrote: Well peeps, I get my rio dragonfly( attachable powered handcycle) from ebay last week and I was happy about potential fun I would have with it this spring/summer. This guy I know told me he would come and help me get it fitted either tues, wed or thurs of this week. in preparation I read the manual , put some of it together, charge battery and get it set up to make it easy as possible for when he comes. I wait all week and the guy never shows up or even calls me. I told myself that I wasn't going to get mad so I rigged the legs of the cycle on jack stands in my room and was able to adjust them to the right length by myself. Its all together now and adjusted as well as charged. If my mom will just hold the front of the bike, Im going to try to attach it tomorrow for the first time. I would have tried that myself but the front end has a spring that brings the wheel back to center when you turn and that needs adjustment I think. Somehow..........someway Im going to get this thing going by hook or by crook. I guess anything you want bad enough you can figure out, but it sure is a big deal to do the simplest things as a quad. Ron
