My Van

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=65 BGCOLOR="#666699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04e00840erlcjm.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>My Van</B></FONT><B>   |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mark Felling.com Dont let life pass you"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="rehab.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rehabilitation">Rehabilitation</A>   |   <A HREF="mystorynews.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News Articles">News Articles</A>   |   <A HREF="caringbridge.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Caring Bridge Archive">Caring Bridge Archive</A>   |   <B>My Van</B>   |   <A HREF="fesimplant.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FES Experimental Forearm Implant">FES Experimental Forearm Implant</A>   |   <A HREF="orthosis.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Powered WristHand Orthosis">Powered Wrist-Hand Orthosis</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=150 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04811c00egdysm.png"> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=415 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="816" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 82 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.broadenedhorizons.com" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.broadenedhorizons.com"><B><IMG SRC="961dd4b0.png" border=0 width="221" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="94"><div> <A HREF="http://www.BroadenedHorizons.com" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.BroadenedHorizons.com"><B>"Innovative Solutions for the Mobility Impaired"</B></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="467"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="82" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="467" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> My van is finally in the ordering process with the Minnesota Department of Vocational Rehab.  I have to work with them to help cover the cost of adaptions.  Hopefully they will finish their paperwork in the next week or two!  Then I will have to wait another three to six weeks to have the hand controls installed.  There are just a few administrators still laying "roadblocks" ... most likely because of the overall cost of the hand controls.  Even though it's never been that way in the past, they are telling my vocational rehab counselor I should get my driver's license first just in case for some reason I would not be able to get it.  However, I cannot take the driving test until I have a van completely set up and configured to my needs!  A Catch-22!  Forget the fact that 2 licensed, highly qualified evaluators both thought I did great when I drove with them. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="5" WIDTH="655" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> This is the particular van I plan to buy, a 2005 Pontiac Montana with a 12" lowered floor</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 369 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="899806b0.png" border=0 width="640" height="363" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="639"><bR> <div> Me driving with IDS hand controls in the example vehicle the company graciously brought up from Houston Texas and sent an evaluator to test me out in.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 246 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="89640f00.png" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="89540f00.png" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="639"><div> On the left is the electronic gas and break, on the right is the horizontal steering.  the buttons control the engine, transmission, turn signals, windows, etc.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 246 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="89440f00.png" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="89840f00.png" border=0 width="320" height="240" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>