Canada President’s Message

Canadian and proud of the heritage and history of my home. I am also a big fan of what is in every respect my first cousins living in the nation to the south of me. I recall being pulled over by a State Trooper in Toledo, Ohio one morning on a return trip from my favorite state, Florida. The officer decided not to ticket me because as he said, I was a foreigner. The word almost stung as I said in the back of my mind, “We share so much and have more in common than likely any two nations on the planet!” But I did not argue, no ticket was a preferred outcome. These last months have tried our collective patience and stepped on nerves we didn’t know we had. I felt leading up to March that your Canadian board of directors had kept up a steady pace, working on issues and opportunities on behalf of the members here in Canada. We have opened up many doors and made good connections both federally and provincially. We have had to remind ourselves we are in a relay race and not a single sprint. Targets are moving and not static. By David Parton —Mobility in Motion

As a Canadian, and as a

be opening any time soon. I am a

These past few months have seen implementation of WC-18, 19, and those points of interest, targets for 20 for the benefit of occupied education in hopes of bringing about wheelchairs in transportation. change, have been working from A recent policy was enacted by the home offices, and either, not available, Canadian Transportation Agency or working on fires, or not working at that was undertaken during a time all. when the legislative schedule was

Our government relations committee not as full as usual. The new law has had to essentially shelve projects gives protection to ability-challenged which were heading toward in-person individuals preventing penalty meetings. Social distancing, travel ticketing when extra space is required restrictions, and changing work for mobility devices. The law gives locations has left everything on hold. specific rights and spells out penalties

We are trying to figure out now how for infractions. What it does not do to get reinvigorated and to find new is impact upon municipal transport energy and direction. One positive agencies or interprovincial companies thing this pandemic has brought for as the agency has no authority over some is that time is available, or at these. We are still not requiring least not in such short supply. municipal buses to provide wheelchair

PRESIDENT, NMEDA CANADA

It also struck me that our members are not just dabbling in this mobility business. We have all made significant commitment “

We are still motivated to bring resolution to the issues and challenges experienced by the clients we serve: The homogenization of standards across Canada; full securement, and we are not requiring passenger trains or airplanes to provide for wheelchair capacity and safety on their vehicles. Rights are enshrined, but the mechanism to enable is still absent.

Both the US Board and the Canadian Board are making it a priority to encourage membership growth and great care is being taken to not negatively impact members, many of whom are struggling with challenges which are plentiful, including the pandemic and restrictions related to it.

One necessary part to our businesses is the need for liability protection and garage auto policies to protect us and the vehicles we are charged with modifying or the owners of those vehicles they have placed in our trust.

In the past, insurance companies have invested premiums into the stock market and generated significant returns on these investments. Current circumstances have seen these investments become much less predictable and so insurance underwriters are now looking with much more jaundiced eyes at risk of any kind. One company or industry group can be squeaky clean, but it seems only one bad apple will cause the whole basket to spoil.

Suddenly, the risk associated with installation of a scooter lift, hand controls, even a grab bar in a client’s home, are all being looked at and the underwriters don’t like what they think they are seeing.

My comment to one was, “Look down the road, you will also be needing these things. If you are fortunate enough to live long enough, many of these things are in your future.” A good friend told me a while back that he was driving and realized he could not feel his right leg. I suggested he look into a solution before he became a statistic, but he felt he had not had a real problem yet, and no solution was needed before he felt he had a real problem. I don’t know how not feeling your foot on the accelerator could not be considered a real problem, but hey, I’m just a layman.

I have spoken with an agent at a large insurance brokerage who has earned my trust over many years. I have asked that they explore the creation of group policy with specific focus on the needs of mobility vendors here in Canada. For myself, we have a fleet vehicle policy for our company vehicles. We also have a public liability policy to cover business operations, commercial property insurance for owned buildings, and tenant’s liability for leased premises. Finally, we have a Garage Auto policy to cover inventory vehicles, client vehicles in our care, dealer plate coverage, all activities directly related to our vehicle modification activities. Until you sit down and go over the files, I didn’t really realize the complexity of my own coverage. I have been able to trust the files to good brokers who made it their business to keep everything in place and keep the costs manageable.

When I was made aware of the impending issue with my own renewal coming up my thought was, “I bet I am not alone.” It also struck me that our members are not just dabbling in this mobility business. We have all made significant commitment to and investment in our industry. Our organization is called NMEDA, but our signature trademark is our QAP program.

I have asked for the creation of a NMEDA/QAP insurance program and that is being shopped right now. We hold ourselves to higher standards, and the insurance companies need to be shown that we are not just any apple in the basket. We can demonstrate by our shared values, education, and our audited standards, we are not bringing the risk that others may represent.

It is my hope to shortly be sending out a questionnaire asking questions that the underwriters will be seeking answers to. If any Canadian members are finding themselves not being renewed, or offered significantly reduced policy coverages at increased cost, please reach out to me and I will refer you on to the agency working to craft this program.

If you consider yourself to be a vehicle mobility vendor and are likewise having this challenge, we welcome you to join our association, show your credentials, become QAP accredited. This insurance package will be made available only to NMEDA/QAP members. But don’t worry, we welcome new or renewed members. It is my hope that this will be a value-added program that further makes membership an even more logical choice.