National Mobility Awareness Month Raises the Profile of People with Impaired Mobility

What is National Mobility Awareness Month?

National Mobility Awareness Month (NMAM) is an annual initiative that occurs each May during which people with disabilities are encouraged to raise awareness of mobility solutions throughout the community.

It’s a celebration driven by the theme of “Life Moving Forward.” National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) members work to organize campaigns that highlight the ways in which people living with impaired mobility conquer their physical challenges. NMEDA celebrates their triumph over those challenges while simultaneously bringing much-needed attention to life-changing mobility solutions.

Mobility Impairment Statistics Reveal the Size of the Problem

• Over 18 million people in the US and Canada Suffer from mobility impairment.

• People with disabilities make up the largest minority group in the US.

• 6 million Americans require the use of a wheelchair.

• The disabled unemployment rate is 10 times greater than the national average.

The elderly and veterans are particularly hard hit. 38% of adults 65 and older suffer from disabilities, and the number of veterans with disabilities has jumped by 25% since 2001. But those aren’t the only groups affected. 5% of children under 17 years old have disabilities, as do 10% of people between 18 and 64 years old.

As the population ages, the number of people with disabilities is predicted to increase by 22% over the next 10 years, and 1 in 4 of people who are 20 years old today will become disabled before they retire.

The take-home is this: awareness needs to happen today, not tomorrow.

Freedom Motors is Proud to Assist Drivers with Impaired Mobility

At Freedom Motors, we’ve been providing wheelchair-accessible vehicles and creating wheelchair-accessible conversions for years, so we’re all about helping people with disabilities get out into the great outdoors. To learn more, don’t hesitate to contact us today.