Toyota Motor Sales USA and the Braun Corporation, recently announced the donation of a 2011 Toyota Sienna with a BraunAbility Rampvan® XT conversion, to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Toyota Motor Sales USA and the Braun Corporation, the world’s largest manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vans and wheelchair lifts, recently announced the donation of a 2011 Toyota Sienna with a BraunAbility Rampvan® XT conversion, to the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA).
Paul Holdridge, the Central Atlantic Toyota Regional Vice President and General Manager and Greg Kiser, BraunAbility Regional General Manager presented the 2011 Toyota Sienna Rampvan® XT to the PVA at Jack Taylor’s Alexandria Toyota. The Sienna Rampvan will serve as one of the primary transport vehicles for members of the PVA’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Toyota Motor Sales has had a long relationship with the Paralyzed Veterans of America and has been a contributing sponsor of the PVA’s annual wheelchair games since 2004, which showcases paralyzed veterans competing in Olympic style events. Today’s vehicle donation marks the second time Toyota has donated a wheelchair accessible converted Sienna to the PVA and we are honored to be able to support the brave men and women who have served our country” said Mark Oldenburg, Toyota’s National Fleet Marketing and Mobility Manager.
“BraunAbility takes great pleasure in donating the 2011 Toyota Sienna Rampvan® XT to the Paralyzed Veterans of America,” said Kiser. “The PVA’s commitment to maximizing its members’ quality of life parallels BraunAbility’s passion for increasing personal mobility for physically disabled Americans, especially our disabled veterans, across the country.”
The 2011 Rampvan was introduced to the U.S. market earlier this year. In partnership with Toyota Mobility, which provides financial assistance and a variety of mobility solutions that meet the transportation needs of Americans with disabilities, Braun converts Sienna Rampvans to offer mobility to wheelchair users, either as the driver, front seat passenger, or second row passenger. The vehicle features a lowered floor which provides a 56” high door opening, an automatic door and side-entry ramp, and four wheelchair securement positions.
“On behalf of Paralyzed Veterans of America, thank you to Toyota Motor Sales and BraunAbility, for their generous donation of a fully accessible wheelchair van,” said Bill Lawson, National President of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. “The van will assist us in our mission to serve the special needs of our members—veterans of the armed forces who live with spinal cord injury or dysfunction.”
The Toyota dealership in Alexandria will complete any necessary service and warranty work on the Toyota chassis, while BraunAbility’s local mobility dealer, Ride-Away, will service the BraunAbility conversion.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants, including one under construction. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Visit Toyota Mobility at www.toyotamobility.com
About The Braun Corporation
The Braun Corporation is the world’s largest manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vans, ramps, and wheelchair lifts worldwide and enables people with physical disabilities to regain mobility and lead active and independent lives. The Indiana-based company was founded by Ralph Braun, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at a young age and unable to walk by age 15. Ralph was motivated by his disability to invent the world’s first electric scooter (the Tri-Wheeler) and wheelchair lift (the Lift-A-Way) in his parents’ garage. Word spread and demand for the product increased, resulting in the birth of Save-A-Step Manufacturing, which ultimately became The Braun Corporation. The company, via the BraunAbility brand, offers the most diverse model lineup in the industry, including the most popular minivan models from Dodge/Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota. For more information about the Braun Corporation or our outstanding line of wheelchair accessible vehicles, please visit www.braunability.com.
About Paralyzed Veterans of America
Paralyzed Veterans of America was founded by a band of spinal cord injured service members who returned home from World War II to a grateful nation, but also to a world with few solutions to the challenges they faced. They made a decision not just to live, but to live with dignity as contributors to society. They created Paralyzed Veterans of America, dedicated to veterans service, medical research and civil rights for people with disabilities. And for more than 64 years, Paralyzed Veterans and our 34 chapters have been working to create an America where all veterans and people with disabilities, and their families, have everything they need to thrive. We represent thousands of veterans in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Visit Paralyzed Veterans of America at www.pva.org
I’m writing because I have a brother who is paralazed since 1967. He is paralazed from ago he hurt his shoulder. He doesn’t have a lift, because he only has a car. He can’t afford a van with a lift. I was hoping you could help him. He wants to be independent, but with out a good vehicle it’s very hard.
I hope you can help him.
It’s pleasure to see that kind of donates’s in the world.
I’m disabled by train accident in 2001 & i lost my legs & right hand there.
But now i passed out from the university & independently manage my all needs.but unfortunately i didn’t find the way to fulfill my transport needs.so i hope you can gave the life for me.
PLEASE HELP ME