March certainly was a whirlwind of an adventure!
Barton and Megan Cutter at AM General’s MV-1 manufacturing plant.
We started the month out with a trip of a lifetime, as we were invited to attend the 2014 launch of the MV-1 at Mobility Ventures in South Bend, IN.
Right away, traveling was completely different since Barton was traveling in his power chair. This was the first time we travelled without Megan having to push Barton and carry luggage bags. Instead, Barton carried bags that hung on the back of his chair and zoomed up to the gate.
Now, while we were waiting to take off, we could feel luggage being shifted underneath, so much so that the whole plane was shaking, and wondered if Barton’s power chair would make it in one piece. We looked at each other and made some interesting possibilities for media taglines: “motor wheelchair falls out of plane and crashes through house.” Indeed, when we arrived in Indiana, we found that his chair had been broken by rough handling, and we waited to fill out claim forms for repair.
That evening, we had the delight of meeting Mobility Venture’s staff and getting to know the MV-1 support team and advocates. The diversity of conversations led to some very fun connections, those that we would see in Atlanta later in the week, and not least of which is a potential skydiving opportunity for Barton. The look on Megan’s face when this conversation opened up was priceless!
Our host for the weekend, who drove us from place to place was wonderful. In fact, he and Barton were two mischievous peas in a pod. Early Tuesday morning, we headed over to AM General’s plant, where the MV-1 is manufactured. And, we met Barton’s father, who joined us, driving down from Chicago!
During the launch ceremony, we were given the impromptu opportunity to speak to city officials, AM General and Mobility Ventures executive staff, and plant staff members who were on site. We joined major advocates from the New York hearings for NY Taxis, who talked about how the MV-1 will benefit access for people in wheelchairs to get around major metropolitan cities more freely.
Barton speaks at the MV-1 launch event.
Barton was able to convey his words of inspiration and motivation, “What excites me the most is that the MV-1 is built from the ground up, with the very philosophy and values of inclusion and perseverance that I live by.”
Megan had heard the phrase “enhance people with disabilities,” several times during other speeches.
Megan speaks at the MV-1 Release Event.
On the spur of the moment, she decided to break down what that actually meant, “Having accessible transportation means that I can walk beside my husband instead of being behind him pushing him in a manual wheelchair. It means that we can travel, speaking and inspiring other people with disabilities. And it means we can go somewhere as simple as a coffee shop.”
Indeed, everyone that heard her speak felt her meaning and was moved by her words.
We stood next to each other and realized how powerful it was to give others meaning to the work that they do. It’s one thing to think you are making a difference in someone’s life, but it’s another to hear someone speak about what you are doing, and how it impacts them.
Robots take over 1,000 video-measurements for quality control measures on a new MV-1.
After the presentation, we were able to tour the plant, watching MV-1 vehicles being prepared and ready for their new owners. We watched in awe at the team of workers, robotic arms, and conveyor belts moved new MV-1’s through the building process.
Robotic arms welding a new MV-1
Perhaps the most impressive part of the tour for us was to see how meticulously each MV-1 has been tested to meet the precise standards that ensure its durability and integrity on the road.
Being behind the wheel, the sense of everything we were feeling in the car in terms of durability and being able to go the distance lens itself to our excitement of embracing the open road.
AM General’s MV-1 plant is impressive because of the multi-layered use of space.
And indeed, being able to witness the level of dedication with which these MV-1’s are built and confirmed that this is the best vehicle for us. And how did we celebrate?
The morning after we returned Indiana, we piled in our MV-1, now loaded down with books, and we headed off to The Abilities Expo in Atlanta.
Five events later, and over 1,500 miles added in just this month alone, our MV-1 is proving that it is not only opening doors for the two of us, but allowing us to turn heads and help others shine their best.
New MV-1 at AM General’s manufacturing plant.