Helping the Disabled Overcome Obstacles

 The new school year brings a whole new set of challenges for college freshmen in particular. Not only do they have to get used to being on their own and away from their parents for the first time, but they also have to get used to a whole new routine. The adjustment is easier for some than others.

Megan Yekel's friends and family are amazed at how easy it has been for the 18-year-old to transition to college life at the University of Scranton in Penn. -- despite all the obstacles you'd think were in her way.

When she was just 3 years old, Yekel's parents learned she had a form of muscular dystrophy that would eventually rob her of the strength in her legs. By the age of 9 she could no longer stand up and needed a wheelchair to get around. Navigating through life in a standard wheelchair for Megan proved to be a challenge.

"I got pretty good at maneuvering around in my power chair, but there were a lot of things I couldn't do," remembers Yekel. "Like keep up with my friends when they were walking, sit in the bleachers during football games and participate in school dances."

Yekel says she also suffered academically. "Because my high school did not have an elevator or ramps, I couldn't participate in science labs that were only offered on the fourth floor. I can remember one time someone tried to bring all the supplies down to me and ended up dropping everything so they decided not to do that again," says Yekel.

But things will be different for her in college now that she has become an owner of the unique INDEPENDENCE iBOT 4000 Mobility System a high-tech, all-terrain wheelchair that can climb stairs, ride up curbs, move along almost any surface and rise up and balance on two wheels. The iBOT Mobility System, which is only available through a doctor's prescription, was invented by Dean Kamen.

"This chair has made it possible for me to do things I never thought I'd be able to do," says Yekel, "like climb stairs and raise myself to a level where I can talk eye-to-eye with people and participate in activities that were not possible before. I'm to the point now where I'm pretty independent. I actually forget sometimes that I have a disability. When I'm at college, I'll get to enjoy the wide open green spaces and cobblestone paths on campus, something I couldn't have done with my power chair. There's a big hill in the middle of campus and it definitely would be difficult for me to climb that hill in a regular power wheelchair."

Yekel says she's thrilled she will be able to have a true college experience thanks to her iBOT Mobility System. She is planning to major in Elementary Education and minor in Spanish.

For more information, or to make arrangements to take the iBOT Mobility System for a test drive, click here.

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