Blog for Further OPTIONS...

Your new ride? For sale: 2009 GMC Sierra Wheelchair Accessible Truck

2009-10-28T12:51:00.001-07:00

If you are at all interested, please do not hesitate to contact Scott Darnell about this two-wheel drive truck, with 51 miles on it, that is now available, on a first-come, first-served basis. Please visit other postings on this blog to see video and picture demos of the ADA Award-winning DMS System we are offering as a custom installation in this vehicle.

Just provide is your wheelchair information and we'll tweak the lift, position your wheelchair restraint system, and get this GMC pickup all ready to go for you.

Custom DMS System Installation Includes:
. Driver's Side Application
. Power Doors
. Lowered Floor (56 1/2" Floor-to-Ceiling Height)
. DMS-3 or DMS-4 Lift

Please call +1.618.664.3178 or email today if you're interested.

Further Options in Truck & Auto Customizing's October Issue

2009-10-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

CustomizingBiz.com, Oct. 20, 2009
Finding Opportunities in Mobility

Scott Darnell loved driving big trucks and fast cars before a diving accident left him paralyzed. “When I woke up, they told me the only option for me was a full-size van,” Darnell said. “I was kind of bummed with that so immediately I started thinking about different ways that I could get myself in and out of different vehicles.” Darnell’s solution was the DMS series of wheelchair lifts produced by his company, Further Options in Greenville, Ill., that let anyone in a wheelchair drive whatever vehicle they’d like. “What we were running up against is I didn’t want a vehicle that looked like it was for the disabled, I wanted a vehicle that looked just like anybody else’s, that I could modify just like anybody else’s,” Darnell said. “My first truck [with the DMS] was a Dodge Ram that we had on airbags and everything else and it would drop down almost to the ground. Now I’m in a new full-size Chevy Silverado.” Regardless of how they were injured, disabled car enthusiasts and every-day drivers like Darnell are looking for products to help them with the mechanics of driving or riding in a vehicle, and to spiff those vehicles up. Aftermarket retailers are finding ways to meet all of those needs...

Oct. 12, 2009: Cadillac Escalade!

2009-10-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

Referring back to the Chevrolet Suburban in the previous post, Dwayne McKee of Scottsdale, Arizona, will soon be taking delivery of his new Cadillac Escalade with our DMS-3 wheelchair lift system.

Thanks to the efforts of few key players working together, Dwayne's dream is coming true!

Details coming soon, and in the meantime, here's something to whet your whistle. When all is done and you've seen the results, I'll be curious to hear back if you can see any visual differences on the driver's side.

Coming in my next update, a truck on the current build line, that could soon be yours.

Oct. 12, 2009: Catching Up!

2009-10-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

We've been busy... please take a look.

Thanks to the interest and efforts of Mr. Alan Daoud of Mobility Express at the Sun City Center location, we recently had an opportunity to make a very productive trip to Florida.

On our first day there, we met with Bob Nealy of Lucerne Spinal Center in Orlando, and dropped by the nearby mobility dealer, World of Independence.

The next day, we met Mr. Daoud at the Mobility Express New Port Ritchey location, where he made a presentation demonstrating new mobility options for disabled drivers, where we were very thankful for the chance to participate.

Evaluators from across the country were gathered for the presentation, and it was a great opportunity for us to show how "factory original" our approach remains, while still being in presentation line with a Chevrolet Suburban.

We then traveled on to the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, where we met some truly wonderful people, young and older, whose wills remain amazingly heroic even while carrying on with the battle that has followed them home.

Many thanks Mr. Dauod, and to each of you we met along the way... we cannot thank you enough. To everyone else, thank you very much for following along. We'll have more news to share with you soon, and in the meantime, we look forward to hearing from you any time.

Under Vehicle Lift Swap

2009-05-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

This is a more direct "before & after" comparison to Josh's lift swap...it is NOT intended to discount the "Sport Truck" or the package "Ryno Mobility" offers...their removal of the threshold and floor-to-ceiling-height keeps driving a truck a viable option for many.

"With" Under Vehicle Lift (UVL) and full suspension lift...

"Without" UVL and 4" of suspension lift...

"With"

"Without"

"With"

"Without"

"With"

"Without"

Ryno Mobility Corporation Re-vamp

2009-05-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Most guys, and some girls, who have experienced a disability that requires serious modifications to allow their driving...have asked their respective evaluator, "What are my options...can I drive a truck?" KVB Manufacturing had the Elaine-Anne Lift (they have recently shut their doors due to health reasons and I would ask that everyone who reads this - take a few seconds to send good thoughts their way...they are wonderful people) and Braun Mobility brought out the "Sport Truck" on a Dodge frame - an example of which is pictured below -

An amazing option - although outside my financial realm, which provided me the freedom to voice my opinion, "I absolutely hate the Under Vehicle Lift (UVL) hanging underneath it!"

I had heard Braun would not be re-engineering the "Sport Truck" with the body change (2001 was the last year for this body style for half-ton trucks, 2002 for 3/4 and 1 ton trucks)...but a newer version soon came out in very capable hands. Edward Pic and Jim Ryback successfully made the transition onto GM-based platforms, keeping the dream a possibility for countless others -

Plus, options with Nissan trucks, four-wheel-drives, dualies, and - most recently - a Dodge "Megacab" -

...wonderful options, each of them - and most are still available, but there remained that UVL under there - which requires four to six inches of suspension lift.

One owner of a Ryno conversion, Mr. Josh Woodcock, approached us wanting to eliminate his UVL - his family is in the logging business and the environment wreaked havoc upon the inner workings of his wheelchair lift...the following pictures are the result -

His family removed the UVL and took out four inches of the suspension lift.

Fellow Co-founder, David Gotter, rehabbed the driver's area - got things sliding that were supposed to slide, etc. - and installed our DMS-5 (a new version modified for manual wheelchairs) lift system -

The DMS-5 uses a single hydraulic cylinder - power up/gravity down - with a linear actuator for swinging in and out...the narrower version accommodates the larger push rims on manual wheelchairs, and the required bracketing for our receptor "channels" adds about four pounds to the chair -

...the DMS-5 in the lowered position - and then...Josh...taking delivery of his truck -

...locked into the EZ-Lock...moments later he closes his doors using our air system (when the doors are closed and latched, the air is dumped and the doors swing freely by utilizing the factory handles).

Josh's "new" truck!

...of course, if there still remains in you the want to have something even less modified...you have Further OPTIONS...

May 2009 issue of PN now available...

2009-04-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Please pick up your copy of the May issue of PN/Paraplegia News to read about our success at the NMEDA conference earlier this year.

DMS Demo

2009-04-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Superman returns: The historic passage of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act

2009-03-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that every one of the other subscribers to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation's email newsletter list shared my joy in reading today's announcement from President and CEO Peter Wilderotter trumpeting this news. "Today we applaud the United States House of Representatives for passing the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (CDRPA - Title XIV of H.R.146), included in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. The legislation was named for the late Christopher Reeve and his wife Dana, whose courage and grace in the face of adversity, coupled with their extraordinary activism, were an inspiration to millions around the world. The landmark legislation, which enjoyed bi-partisan support and passed in the Senate on January 15, 2009 will promote collaborative research, rehabilitation and quality of life initiatives for millions of Americans living with paralysis and spinal cord injuries. Today is a day of celebration for the paralysis community and we commend Congress for quickly passing this much needed legislation, which honors the spirit and legacy of Christopher and Dana Reeve. There is no better tribute to their dedicated efforts, and they would be so proud, yet humbled, to see this tremendous achievement. We look forward to the President signing this bill into law. On behalf of the Reeve Foundation and millions of Americans living with paralysis, I would like to thank Congresswomen Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) as well as Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) for initially sponsoring this important health bill and for their tireless efforts.Their extraordinary leadership and dedication was instrumental in passing this historic legislation...."

Peter's letter goes on to detail the Act's three components, which aim to support and enhance paralysis research, rehabilitation, and quality of life programs. It's a day to celebrate, and honor the many amazing people behind this coming to pass, including Christopher Reeve himself.

DMS-4 Demo

2009-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Demo of our DMS-4 Pickup Truck Wheelchair Entry System, 2009 winner of the Adaptive Driving Alliance New Technology Award for Innovation in Engineering and Technology for the physically challenged.

Music courtesy of Saam Gabbay (www.saamgabbay.com).
Thank you Saam!

NMEDA pictures, including New Technology awards presentation...

2009-02-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

2009 NMEDA Photo Number 1, originally uploaded by Roger D..

Enjoy more of our pictures NMEDA 2009.

Award winners...

2009-02-07T15:54:00.000-08:00

We are very proud to announce that Scott Darnell and David Gotter have won the 2009 ADA/NMEDA New Technology Award. More details are coming soon. In the meantime, many thanks to everyone for the interest and support provided along the way; this win represents the contributions of a lot of people, each of whom is appreciated immensely.

Shown (L-R): Scott Darnell and David Gotter on Feb. 6, 2009, at the annual NMEDA Conference, where they were presented with this year's ADA/NMEDA New Technology Award.

Further OPTIONS 2009 Video...

2009-02-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

Mission Daytona

2009-01-31T13:30:00.000-08:00

Meet Disaboom....

2009-01-30T13:12:00.001-08:00

The new, new truck

2009-01-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

2008 1500 Chevrolet Silverado 2wd.
More information coming soon!

FDA Approves Stem Cell Study for Spinal Injuries

2009-01-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

The newswires are filled with coverage on today's announcement that the FDA has approved the first clinical trial to use human embryonic stem cells to potentially draw recent paraplegics out of the wheelchair and back on their feet. With no pun intended, it's a first step toward what will hopefully lead to a lot of dreams coming true. Here's the link to the story from ABC News: FDA Approves Stem Cell Study for Spinal Injuries; Stem Cell Therapy Worked on Injured Rats; Humans Next Test. And here's the link to their video to accompany the story:

Stem Cell Study Breakthrough, Jan. 23, 2009.

Updates coming soon...

2009-01-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

Vehicle Choice Survey -- please participate!

2008-10-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

Free Online Surveys

Feeds from Spinal Cord Injury Info Networks

2008-02-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

Get this widget!

16 Projects Aimed at Curing Spinal Cord Injuries

2008-02-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

I'm on the mailing list for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and the headline of this item is the subject line for the current edition of their email newsletter. Here's the rest of the email introduction from online editor Rob Gerth.

We fund research. Try explaining that to people! Just last week we awarded nearly $2 million to 16 labs around the world. That brings us to over $77 million invested in spinal cord research to date. Big numbers, but what do we do with the money? How about finding ways to rewire a damaged spinal cord, or restoring normal bowel function, or creating brain-controlled devices replicating what you and I do with our hands and arms, or simply (and it isn't simple) reducing pressure sores caused from constantly being in one position? Take a minute to read what some of the brightest scientists in the world will be working on this year, as they look for treatments, cures, and ways to improve the health and quality of life for people living with spinal cord injury.

Disaboom.com makes a splash... are you feeling it?

2008-01-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

A new online ad campaign for Disaboom.com, a new web destination uniting people touched by disability, came to the attention of my friend Angela Natividad of the popular advertising industry blog Adrants.com. As Angela writes, "The girl is cute all right, but it's more than a little jarring to see the ad pop up while we're busy trawling shirtless co-eds in the dark of night.... Wethinks the Disaboom campaign is an aggressive effort to de-stigmatize the disabled crowd amongst self-obsessed and totally shallow marketing execs-- er, college students."

The site offers a lot of information and resources, a community where you can create a blog and share videos, and lots more. Thoughts?

What can we say -- we love Trucks!

2008-01-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

Issue 59 is out...

Happy new year to all!

Truck World's 2007 SEMA Show Photo Gallery

2007-11-09T13:22:00.000-08:00

Click the picture below to check out the 2007 SEMA Show Photo Gallery from Truck World's Brian McCormick.

Sure wish we could have been there this year, but still, we're very thankful for all the exciting things happening here at Further OPTIONS. More news coming soon....

Check out the latest issue of TRUCKS Magazine

2007-10-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of TRUCKS Magazine just came out, and you can check-out the Digital Edition by following this link.

Enjoy!