For Immediate Release
Contact: Rebecca Strong, 517-373-0797
July 6, 2009 or Brian Brown, 517-485-6600

Sen. Jansen, Comcast, volunteers build ramp in Rockford
First MMAP (Michigan Mobility Accessibility Partnership) project completed, providing greater independence for local woman

LANSING — A Kent County woman and her family have greater independence thanks to the “Michigan Mobility & Accessibility Partnership.” A group of dedicated volunteers today built a wheelchair-accessible ramp at the home of Lori B* in Rockford, the first of five such scheduled builds this summer.

“Being able to freely come and go from your own home is something many of us take for granted,” said Sen. Mark C. Jansen, R-Gaines Township. “By joining forces with Comcast, Disability Advocates of Kent County and dedicated volunteers, today we helped improve mobility and accessibility for a Michigan family.”

Sponsored by Comcast, the partnership is a bipartisan effort led in the Senate by Jansen in collaboration with other elected officials, disability advocates and local volunteers. The group plans to build five wheelchair-accessible ramps this summer for Michigan families in need.

Comcast has committed $30,000 in funding for construction of the ramps, as well as volunteers to assist with the ramp-building projects at each location. Comcast has a long-standing history of giving back to the communities where its employees and customers live and work. In April, approximately 2,400 volunteers dedicated more than 11,000 hours of community service to local nonprofit organizations across Michigan during the company’s 2009 Comcast Cares Day. Held annually, Comcast Cares Day is one of the largest single-day corporate volunteer efforts in the country.

“Comcast is committed to making a difference in the communities we serve,” said Comcast Vice President for West Michigan, Larry Williamson. “We are pleased to assist in making Lori’s daily life a little easier with this new wheelchair ramp and home repair support, and look forward to partnering with the Michigan Senate to help out four additional deserving individuals later this summer.”

Home Repair Services, a nonprofit organization serving lower-income homeowners throughout Kent County, was on hand to help with construction of the ramp.

Other scheduled ramp builds are:
• Flint
Monday, Aug. 3
• Monroe
Friday, Aug. 7
• Capital Area
Monday, Aug. 17

A fifth ramp build is planned for the 12th Senate District.

“I have waited over a year for a ramp. It was such a nice surprise to hear it would finally happen,” Lori B. said. “I am so grateful. It will free up my life and increase my independence.”

According to a May 2002 report, titled Wheelchair Use in the United States, the Disability Statistics Center at the University of California, San Francisco stated that “an estimated 1.6 million Americans residing outside of assisted living facilities use wheelchairs.”

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* Lori B. has requested her last name be withheld to protect her identity.

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