Logan's UATP helps one woman, starts a chain reaction

Sharon Ross

Sharon Ross met Clay Christensen at the Logan Utah Assistive Technology Program when she had a problem with the foot rest on her wheelchair. Something was wrong with the weld. She tried to get help from the vendor, but when that wasn't working for her she brought her wheelchair to UATP in Logan, and Christensen fixed it.

She remembered her experience--and that UATP helps connect donated and refurbished equipment with people who need it--when a friend with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was unable to get around. Sharon's friend could not afford a new wheelchair, and her health was very bad.

Sharon visited Christensen and asked if he had anything that would work for her friend. He took her to the used, donated wheelchairs at UATP, and they discovered a reclining chair.

"We took it to my friend and she was elated," Sharon said. Her friend used the chair until she passed away a few months later.

Since then, three of her friends have needed walkers. Again, they didn't feel they could afford a solution, but Christensen found something that would work for them.

That's the mission of the AT Lab, Christensen said. "Most of the time people with disabilities are on a limited income anyway. Insurance isn't covering everything they need."

Now, he is working on another project for her--a lift that will be both customized and affordable. "There are a lot of solutions out there that can be adapted," he said. "Some were not specifically intended for disability use but they certainly have an application for it, with a much kinder price tag."

If you live in Utah and have a need for equipment that would help you be more independent, UATP may be able to help. Affordable fees for service may apply. Find out more on the UATP website.