Dana Roeling has left her position as executive director for the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) and has joined a Florida-based assistive technology company called Rehab Ideas.
Roeling began with NMEDA in March 2002, and her major responsibilities included promoting NMEDA membership, member education and the annual conference, held this year in Phoenix in February.
In a good-bye letter to NMEDA members, Roeling said, “I am proud that during my tenure at NMEDA, we have more than doubled our membership, developed standards and formalized education and training in this industry. More importantly, we have brought OEM vehicle manufacturers, funding agencies and government entities together to increase the safety and mobility options for individuals with disabilities and their families. We are respected, we are known, and we are the voice in this industry!” She added, “I will forever be an ambassador for NMEDA.”
At press time, NMEDA was in the process of searching for a new executive director.
Roeling is now the chief operating officer at Rehab Ideas, which she described as a company that “provides independence, autonomy, mobility, self-sufficiency, personal growth and respect for people with disabilities.”
The Rehab Ideas Web site (www.rehabideas.com) shows several assistive technology products, including the No Boundaries Off-Road Wheelchair Kit and the No Limitations Sideways Wheelchair Kit. The off-road kit is a platform that carries a power chair over uneven terrain; the platform is powered by the power chair’s wheels. The sideways wheelchair kit attaches to the back of a rear-wheel-drive power chair to enable the chair to move side to side in tight spaces.
The products were developed by the University of South Florida and licensed exclusively to Rehab Ideas. Dealers wanting more information can call the Tampa-based company at (813) 830-1875.
Rehab Ideas’ CEO is Stephen Sundarrao, a former NMEDA board member who currently teaches mechanical engineering at the University of South Florida.
Said Roeling of her new venture, “I am just so excited to be a part of such an incredible team of professionals in the rehabilitation industry.”
