Bruno: because you have places to go!

Exceptional Parent, The, Sept, 2001 by Nicholas Frank

How nice would it be to be able to slide your wheelchair right into the front seat of your truck? Many people with disabilities who are ambulatory have difficulty getting into trucks, minivans and SUV's because of the high floors. With two innovative new products designed to make larger automobiles accessible, Bruno Independent Living Aids is finding ways to get people moving.

The Turny[TM] automotive system turns a car seat into a chair lift. What at first looks like a normal, unaltered front seat will, at the touch of a button, move outside the vehicle and lower itself so the top of the seat is 18 inches off the ground. At that level, it's easy to scoot onto the seat from a wheelchair. The Turny then lifts the seat back into the van and you're off and running.

The new Carony[TM] transportation base, available as a part of the Turny system, converts the car seat into a fully functioning wheelchair, so you can leave your old chair at home. When you get the full system, lifting by an attendant is no longer necessary.

You might expect the Turny system to radically alter a car, but often the original car seat is used. And virtually no modification to the vehicle is required, so a leased vehicle can easily be restored to its original condition.

In addition to Bruno's own rebate offers, automobile manufacturers help to make accessibility products more accessible. GM, Chrysler, Saturn, Ford, and Volkswagen all offer independent mobility product rebates of up to $1,000 for people with disabilities. The Turny and Carony systems are eligible for the rebates. Bruno also works with third party payers such as insurance companies, vocational rehabilitation, the Veterans Administration, and Community Options programs. Many of Bruno's products are covered under Medicare.

BRUNO'S MOBILITY PRODUCTS OFFER INDEPENDENCE

Along with a variety of chair lifts for vehicles, Bruno offers both straight and curved in-home stair lifts, and a full line of scooters and power chairs. Customers love the changes Bruno's products bring to their lives.

Gerald DeLeeuw, president of the Milwaukee Post Polio Resource Group, bought a Bruno Cub 34[TM] three-wheel scooter and a power lift for his custom van. He and his wife Lee can travel to national parks together again. "She insists that I go with her rather than sit around back home." Short trips are possible now, too. "She goes out for morning walks, and now I can join her."

Gerald said his deluxe scooter, complete with horn, lights, basket, and can-holder, looks like a Cadillac with all the bells and whistles. "Everybody wants to try it out."

Diane Miller, who runs the Welcome H.O.M.E. program for people with disabilities, bought a Bruno lift for her minivan. "I love it!" she said. "The lift has allowed me to be reborn, to re-enter the world that I was used to."

Bruno's products can often mean the difference between staying in your

home and going into a nursing home. The right combination of mobility aids can make an entire home accessible again, from the basement to the upstairs bedroom.

Simply put, Bruno's line of mobility aids helps people regain their independence. The company logo includes a drawing of the Liberty Bell, that enduring symbol of the American Revolution. For founder and CEO Mike Bruno, the logo signifies freedom, liberty and independence. "It's absolutely amazing what happens to a person when they buy one of our products," he said. "Their whole lifestyle changes--they can get out and about, go anywhere they want," he said.

With innovative products like the new Turny and Carony Systems, Bruno Independent Living Aids is opening new doors all the time. Call Bruno's Oconomowoc facility for tours, demonstrations, and more information at 800-882-8183 or 262-567-4990, or access their Web site at www.bruno.com.