It was a wonderful Sunday afternoon January 10th, 2021 in Arriba, Colorado as Ryan Davis stood tall in his brand-new Half-power Super stand Standing Wheelchair having just been delivered by the Standing Chair Company of Saginaw Michigan. Ryan’s new opportunities would not have been possible without a lot of hard work, persistence, and the CAP staff’s belief in this young man that he could return to work with his family in their production Ag business, and the financial support of the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).
Ryan Davis grew up on his family farm in Colorado. His family represents several generations of farmers and Ryan had thought he too would continue this path. An auto accident in 2014 changed all that. A spinal cord injury at the T-6 level left Ryan having to use a wheelchair to meet his mobility needs. His life had been dramatically changed and working on the family farm presented many physical obstacles he and his family felt could not be overcome.
February 2019 Ryan and his folks attended an AgrAbility Winter Workshop in Limon, CO. The Davis’ were interested in learning more about Assistive Technology that would provide Ryan more access to working on the family farm. Candy Leathers, AgrAbility Program Manager spent time with the family to discuss possible modifications to work tasks and farm equipment. She provided several onsite Farm/Ranch Situational Assessment with Ryan and from these visits she was able to provide numerous recommendations for modification for his consideration. After receiving this information Ryan approached the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for their assistance as he felt he had determined a new vocational direction that would allow him to combine his educational goals with his employment goal of working on the family farm.
One of the recommendations provide was for securing a Super stand, Standing Wheelchair. The Half-Power Superstand standing wheelchair combines the best of both worlds. A power mobility base makes it easy to travel from place to place. And power mobility means less stress and strain on Ryan’s shoulders. When he needs/wants to stand, the user simply holds a release and moves a lever to manually transition to an upright stance. This piece of Assistive Technology produces a wealth of health and lifestyle benefits. Standing will enable Ryan to perform jobs that may otherwise be difficult or impossible to accomplish. For Ryan he is now able to reach tools and supplies in the workshop as well as having access to high profile equipment for repairs.
The cost of this device is estimated at approximately $28,000.00. And without the support of DVR would not have been possible.
Ryan is appreciative of the AgrAbility projects support through this process and shared, “I know that I possess both the ability to work and the interest to do so; the only thing that was stopping me was accessibility, something that through your assistance I once again have control over. I know that with the right equipment and support, my goals would be well within reach…,
In a message he recently sent he said, “I just wanted to say thank you as AgrAbility has been instrumental in this process and without the project, I think we probably would have given up long ago. Mom and Dad say thanks as well!
Sincerely,
Ryan