Free Wheeling
Release Date: 06-19-2009
Author: Jeffrey R. Wakefield
Email: Jeffrey.Wakefield@uvm.edu
Phone: 802/656-2005 Fax: (802) 656-3203
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Thirty-eight Vermont children with disabilities and their families came to the O'Brien Community Center in Winooski on May 16 to be fitted for specially adapted tricycles that enable them to ride independently for the first time. The event was sponsored by the Vermont chapter of AMBUCS, a national organization that promotes mobility and independence for people with disabilities; a group of local pediatric physical and occupational therapists; and UVM's Center on Disability and Community Inclusion (CDCI).
In this audio slideshow, listen to CDCI faculty member and Vermont AMBUCS chapter co-founder Marie MacLeod talk about the program's impact on Vermont families and children.
The AMBUCS chapter will raise funds over the next year to help families pay for the adapted trikes, which range in price from $400 to $1,100, and for a special trailer that will enable the group to do local bike fittings around the state. Those interested in supporting the program should contact the Center for Disability and Community Inclusion at 656-4031 or visit this website.