What would you do if your wheels broke down on an isolated highway, leaving you absolutely stranded? Now imagine this scenario if your wheels happened to be a wheelchair. Who would you call? You’d call Wheelin’ Mobility of course! Wheelin’ Mobility offers 24/7 service and repair for mobility devices. This wonderful small business recently hired Neil Squire Society, Working Together participant, Nicole.
Nicole experienced the necessary services Wheelin’ Mobility offers when her power wheelchair stopped working while she was away from home and without another wheelchair. Stranded and with a fear of being secluded, Nicole relied on the services from Wheelin’ Mobility to get her home and allowed her to be mobile while her wheelchair was being repaired. Nicole now works part-time at Wheelin’ Mobility as a marketing/administrative assistant. “This is the first opportunity where I feel like I’m part of something positive and meaningful,” says Nicole about her experience working with Wheelin’ Mobility.
Nicole, who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at the age two, graduated from university with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Culture Anthropology in 2012. Like most recent university graduates, Nicole was looking for help to get herself into the workforce. Nicole came to the Neil Squire Society and entered the Employ-Ability Program to help with her career goals. After successfully completing the Employ-Ability Program, Nicole jumped at the opportunity to enter the Working Together Program. By this time Nicole was eager to find work, and was determined to work somewhere that she was passionate about. With clever tactics, Nicole brought her own work placement to the Working Together Program. “Matt, from Wheelin’ Mobility, and I heard about the Working Together Program and we started to discuss the possibilities. It was the perfect opportunity for both of us!” states Nicole.
Nicole is three months into her work placement and loves it. She is ecstatic because she has a job she enjoys, has moved into the “big city”, and is living on her own. I would say she’s done pretty well for someone fresh out of university looking for some direction. Nicole is no longer “stuck on the highway”.