NMEDA Kicks Off National Mobility Awareness Campaign

Local Heroes Contest to Award Four Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles

TAMPA, FL -- April 15, 2015: The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Associations (NMEDA) kicks off its National Mobility Awareness Month campaign today, and marks the fourth year for its highly anticipated and successful annual contest in which four deserving “Local Heroes” will be awarded a wheelchair accessible vehicle tailored to their needs through an online contest.

“We encourage caregivers, friends and family members to submit written or video stories of how they are triumphing over their mobility challenges and positively impacting the lives of the people around them”

The awareness movement and campaign designed to educate seniors, veterans, caregivers and people with disabilities about wheelchair accessible vehicles and adaptive mobility equipment options that enable them to live an active and mobile life, touched the lives of more than 3.9 million people across the United States and Canada through the Local Heroes Contest last year. Major Sponsors providing the vehicles for the 2015 contest are Chrysler, Toyota Mobility, Chairiot Mobility, and Valley Honda Dealers that will be customized by NMEDA Members BraunAbility and Vantage Mobility International (VMI) and ElDorado Mobility.

“It is rewarding to work on such an important project each year that literally changes the lives of people with inspirational life stories. It is their contributions and triumphs we recognize and celebrate through our Local Heroes contest,” said Dave Hubbard, Executive Director and CEO of NMEDA. “We encourage caregivers, friends and family members to submit written or video stories of how they are triumphing over their mobility challenges and positively impacting the lives of the people around them,” said Hubbard. Story submissions begin on April 15th and voting begins May 1st. Submission and votes will be accepted through May 31st. Winners for 2015 will be announced in mid June immediately following National Mobility Awareness Month in May.

In 2014, 1,425 entries received more than 4 million votes from across the country that resulted in four deserving Local Heroes in Riverview, Florida, Moulton, Alabama, Oak Lawn, Illinois and Val Therese, Ontario, Canada being awarded fully customized wheelchair accessible vehicles, and an additional two dozen Local Heroes contestants whose communities rallied to provide them with vehicles when they learned they had not been a contest winner through NMEDA.

If you are interested in entering the contest visit Mobility Awareness.