As you might imagine, Driving Services is one of the most popular programs at the Center. Clients sometimes wait as long as three months to get into the program.  You can help reduce the waiting period by supporting the Foundation’s effort to provide additional instructors and vehicles for training.

To explain more about the gift of driving, we are republishing this article from The News Leader:

When I was a 16-year-old lad just learning about the great independence offered by my driver’s license in 1965, I was in a sledding accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury with paralysis that required the use of a wheelchair for mobility.

This event not only put me in a dependent mode but threw a whole new set of equipment needs and a wide array of new assumptions at me in my effort to be totally on my own, at least, in getting around Martinsville, the small Southside Virginia community from whence I came.

I did pretty well and quickly became used to getting from point A to point B in my wheelchair. But this was the start of a period of a few years where I was dependent on others when I needed to go to somewhere in an automobile.

As I did not have a vehicle of my own prior to my accident, it was not one of my highest priorities to get that other set of wheels. Moreover, in the mid-1960s, there was little of the assistive technology that now allows so many Virginians with disabilities the technology they need to drive.

I had heard of an old fellow who had rigged a hand control in “MacGyver” fashion, but for a long time I accepted my new dependent status.

Even as I went to college at St. Andrews Presbyterian College, in North Carolina, I accepted as a constant having to hook a ride with friends and acquaintances. Although my college years were extraordinary and truly an unforgettable portion of my life, I hated being sometimes stuck on campus without the wheels I needed to get to Chapel Hill, the beach, or back home — without aid from friends or family. After my graduation, however, I needed a job. Imposing on my mother, brother, or friends for daily rides to jobs was just not plausible.

To my delight, a volunteer gave me a prehistoric set of used hand controls. These opened up options that would bless me to this day. These controls were big and clunky, with sharp edges and little leg room under the steering wheel, but they were mine. Shortly after this donation, I was able to get a car — a sleek Charger of some sort — too much car for me at the time, but I wasn’t going to quarrel over it.

Finally, after years of physical and occupational therapy, six years of education and countless hours in a dependent lifestyle, I was FREE. Free to go to work, ball games, friends’ homes and all the places that the vast majority of us take for granted.

Driving myself was a big deal for me then and continues to be for so many who have not had the freedom to go.

–James A. Rothrock is the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services and interim commissioner of the state Department for the Aging

The Star Trail goes through a forest, a meadow and loops around a lake that is open for fishing. (Please note that boating is limited to WWRC programs). Interpretive signage identifies wildlife that might be sighted along the trail.  The trail is open daily to the general public and is a great place to walk a dog, stroll a baby, and enjoy the beauty of campus.

The WWRC Foundation helped fund the creation of the Star Trail and continues to support is maintenance. Your gift will help ensure that the trail is continues to be accessible and will also support outdoor recreation facilities for students at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center.

Whether cutting edge equipment or a basic chair, staff at the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center find the best equipment for each individual client. They not only work with clients to find the right tool, but also to learn how to use that tool to gain independence and employment. This involves experimenting with a variety of devices as well as customizing fittings and adaptations.

To do this well, the Center must maintain a collection of current equipment. This allows clients to try a variety of devices before making a costly purchase. In addition, WWRC staff must keep current on the field and require access to continuing education courses, professional publications, and professional organizations. The Foundation assists by accepting gifts of equipment and providing access to publications and other resources.

Your gift to the WWRC Foundation will help support this important work with assistive technology..

The Foundation accepts donations of vehicles for students training exercises.  The WWRC Foundation is also seeking funds to renovate the training garage which is some fifty years old.  Your gift will enable the Foundation to purchase new equipment and tools for the Automotive Training Program.

Because there is usually a waiting list to get into the Health Training program, the Foundation wants to help expand the Center’s capacity in this area.  Your gift can help purchase equipment that will allow more students to train at one time, reducing the wait list and speeding the process of getting individuals with disabilities into the workforce.