Mobility Way By Mike Savicki — Afterburner Communications NMEDA CONSULTANT
The Move to a Minivan
Behind the wheel, Steve Killilea has covered the miles in a variety of vehicles...
T
his story begins back in the
only solution for passengers or drivers.
days of car-toppers and bench
In February 1977, at age 9, Steve Killilea came with plenty of room to transfer and, yes, he equipped it with a carcontracted Encephalitis, a blood
seats. Remember those? Long
before lowered-floor minivans and ramp-equipped SUVs became the norm—actually, long before minivans and SUVs were even invented—these were a few of the things disabled drivers considered when looking at vehicles to get them on the road. Sure, full-sized, lift-equipped vans with overstuffed captain’s chairs were around but even back then, in the 1970s and 1980s, vans weren’t the
plasma virus that came with flu-like
everyday wheelchair.
more than his left, he was diagnosed
Then it was a black Oldsmobile
a quadriplegic, and he finished third
Cutlass, another hand-me-down from
grade rehabbing in a Boston hospital.
his Dad, and this car had both bench
Steve doesn’t remember much about
seats and a car topper. Steve figured
family vehicles from when he was
out systems to transfer in and out,
young because, as a passenger even
load and unload his everyday chair,
into high school, cars didn’t much
and also to transport his wheelchair
matter, it was about school, friends,
rugby chair to and from weekly
family, and being active.
practices. Steve was one of the
changed when, after graduating high school and enrolling at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the family
NMEDA Circuit Breaker
topper to secure and stow his folding
symptoms. His right side was affected
But his attitude
46
Thunderbird. The two-door coupe
original members of the USQRA’s NEPVA (Boston) Pitbulls and it was there, by watching and learning from teammates, he learned that instead of using a car topper, he could transfer in and out and handle his chair by himself. Soon his car transfers became
realized he needed
faster and more efficient.
a car to get back
“The rugby guys knew all the ins
and forth to school.
and outs of chairs and vehicles so I
Enter his first vehicle,
followed,” Steve, now 52, recalls with a
a hand-me-down-
laugh. I’d see them do it, say to myself
from-Dad, “top of
‘oh, that looks easy’ and learn a new
the line” 1982 Ford
way.”
