THE MOBILITY INDEPENDENCE FOUNDATION INC
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Mission Statement
The goal of Mobility Independence Foundation is to provide accessibility designs and completed equipment to the world in an open-source, easy-to-license format. This will allow people with disabilities to access equipment better suited to their needs, because we listen to their needs. Our open-source designs will be available for individuals to use, improve or customize for their own accessibility needs. Revenue from licensing and grants will allow us to publish the designs and provide equipment at no cost to individuals with disabilities. Mobility is the most basic need that enables us the access to live a full, productive, and happy life, and you can't do that if you're trapped in your own home. Insurance companies and medical equipment providers only have the incentive to meet the bare minimum when providing mobility equipment to their consumers. They assume the user of the equipment needs to be able to move around their own home, get to the grocery store and their medical appointments. Persons with disabilities need to be able to hold a job, parent our children, to travel and enjoy all the gifts this world has to offer. Yet we are told that the ability to escape your own home in the event of fire is not a consideration for insurance covering mobility equipment. Mobility equipment users want a chair that they can take off-road, off-sidewalk, and still maneuver effectively through their home. There is no power wheelchair currently on the market that meets these needs to enable persons with disabilities to live their full and best lives. The Mobility Independence Foundation will develop designs capable of doing each of those tasks.
About This Cause
I founded the MIF in 2022 after being trapped in my own home for over 5 years. I did not have access to the mobility equipment I needed to live my life and access the world outside my tiny, cluttered, dirty little apartment. Without the use of mobility equipment, I was unable to move from my bedroom to the kitchen, or to the bathroom, I could not run my own errands. I was reliant upon my family and medical aids for everything. When I could not get maintenance completed on schedule for my Omegatrac Powerchair, the equipment inevitably broke down. I then had to fight with my insurance company for years just to get approved to look for a suitable replacement because there was nothing available on the market that could sustain me and suit my needs. After several years without any mobility equipment and no available solution offered by any insurance company, the solution came from the generous crowdfunding of friends, neighbors, and supporters who helped me to purchase a nearly 20-year-old Omegatrac which the insurance company would not cover. I know what it feels like to wait 12 hours for a glass of water. I know what it's like to wait 6 months for a replacement battery to power a wheelchair which I'm not allowed to purchase and replace on my own. I know what it feels like to wait years for a new wheelchair and to be disappointed with the features and reliability of the device. I love to be outside. I love to work in the garden. I love to climb the trails on the hill behind my home. I like to feel the sun upon my face just like everyone else and yet, because I lacked the equipment to move around, I was trapped in my own home, in the dark, and unable to care for myself without the generosity of others. My advocacy on behalf of other persons with disabilities led me to found the Mobility Independence Foundation and serve as its Chief Crash Test Dummy! I have many years of personal experience with subpar wheelchairs and many broken bones from when the equipment has failed, and in my 35 years as a disabilities advocate, I have connected with thousands of people who have had similar experiences. My unique perspective on mobility technology provides me with valuable insight into the need for equipment that is both affordable and reliable. Insurance companies and medical equipment providers only have the incentive to meet the bare minimum when providing mobility equipment to their consumers. They assume the user of the equipment needs to be able to move around their own home, get to the grocery store and their medical appointments. There is so much more to life. The Mobility Independence Foundation believes that persons with a disability should have the equipment they need to live a full, happy, and productive life, and that starts with creating the designs for equipment that is reliable, capable, and accessible. Thomas Quiter Founder & President