For the fifth straight year, Team Gleason will partner with the Permobil Foundation to provide seat elevation technology to people living with ALS.
In a March 8 news announcement, the Permobil Foundation said the renewed partnership would make seat elevation available to 700 power wheelchair users.
Ashley Davis, Executive Director of the Permobil Foundation, said in the announcement, “Our goal is to ensure that every person has the right to mobility, and through impactful partnerships with nonprofits, such as Team Gleason, and assisting individuals who are denied by insurance, we can better fulfill a life of independence for our customers needing assistance with complex rehab technologies. Additionally, for ALS, we take this a step further by fast tracking orders through production to ensure each ALS patient gets the chair they need in a timely manner.”
Blair Casey, Team Gleason’s Executive Director, explained how seat elevation can impact the lives of people with ALS: “Seat elevation adds a layer of normalcy that every person with ALS needs and deserves. While the seat elevator is often described as an integral part of the wheelchair, Medicare and most other insurance companies currently do not cover this feature that provides added comfort and greater independence. Our continued partnership with the Permobil Foundation allows for more people with ALS to have the ability to interact with their environment and decrease caregiver burden.”
The Permobil Foundation will also sponsor a Team Gleason Adventure, described by the organization as activities that “empower persons living with ALS while creating life-changing memories for their families. Additionally, these experiences create an enhanced level of public awareness by educating others and telling the story of resiliency.”
Team Gleason was founded by former professional football player Steve Gleason and his wife, Michel, after Steve was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Since then, Team Gleason has advocated to make assistive technology more readily available to people living with ALS and their families.
