Wisconsin Life

It's a stunning day at Yellowstone Lake State Park, and I'm meeting up with Monica Spaeni, president of Access Ability Wisconsin, to learn about their work and the people it impacts. Access Ability Wisconsin is a grassroots non-profit in which we purchase outdoor wheelchairs for people to use for free. If you're a person that uses a mobility device, whether it's a wheelchair, a cane, a walker, or you have a heart condition, normally going outdoors is very difficult. Tiny tires don't really let you experience the joy, and then, if you asphalt or put down sand, that doesn't really help a wheelchair or keep the outdoors in its pure nature. So, the idea is to continue the experience with family and friends. The significance is the fact that the individual can use the chair because of the tracks and also the tilt feature. So that, as the terrain changes, the individual can stay level. Wow, I love there's all these considerations around, "How do we allow people to utilize what you all have to offer?" The all-terrain wheelchairs are helping people and groups navigate the outdoors no matter their ability, and that accessibility extends to the cost to use the chairs. It's free with a deposit.

Monica Spaeni

We require a $50 deposit per chair. Then, they get their $50 deposit back. So, we work at it being a very low-cost situation to no cost situation. So, I love that that is tapping into accessibility on multiple fronts. It's not only the physical accessibility, but also the financial accessibility for those who might assume that it'd be super costly to rent a wheelchair otherwise. Through organizations like Access Ability Wisconsin and the work of people like Monica, the state's resources become more available to all. This work is important to me, and I would say our family, my husband, the dogs, etcetera because there is nothing more important than seeing somebody use the chair for the first time. You can't imagine the smiles, the relief, the independence. And then, the people that they're with. They love it, too. Thank you so much, Monica.