Tag Archives: nmeda.org

Woman extraordinaire

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m sure many of you have seen or watched Adeline Dumapong on television. She is the first Filipina Paralympics medalists and powerlifter from the Ifugago province in the Philippines. I have a rare chance to interview this tough lady from way back. Her story as a wheelchair-bound athlete, performer (being a member of the Rondalla on Wheels), student, friend and fighter in life has moved me. Despite her disability, she was able to finish school with flying colors and show the world that disability is never a hindrance to pursue one’s aspiration in life.

During our casual conversation, she pointed out that persons like her should have easy access to public transport and other services being accorded to and enjoyed by able-bodied individuals. They definitely don’t want to be a burden to society and people supporting them at the moment. They need wheelchairs to move about. I think a wheelchair vehicle much like the custom fit ones distributed by NMEDA will work for them.

Not all wheelchair-bound have the same specific lifestyle and need, there are those who are physically active (like Adeline) and then there are those who are sick and the elderly who require some special features in their wheelchair. My sister, who had the opportunity to train as caregiver before her stint abroad, said it’s not easy to take care of bedridden patients. But her friends who pursued the profession have easier lives as far as taking care of patients in the US is concerned because caregivers there have easy access to NMEDA dealers to assist them with physically-challenged patients.

From what I’ve read about NMEDA, the non-profit trade association helps educate consumers on buying products from a NMEDA qualified dealer. They take pride in the Quality Assurance Program that propels them (NMEDA) as the only nationally accredited program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry in the US. They offer custom-made wheelchairs.

If someone or a group reading this will have the opportunity to help our brothers and sisters in need of wheelchairs, they should take into consideration the durability of wheelchairs they are planning to give out. For these wheelchairs would mean a lot to them to be able “to get back on the road of independence” just like Adeline Dumapong, a Filipina extraordinaire.

NMEDA homepage can be accessed at nmeda.org. To know if there are qualified dealer near you, hit the dealers locator and type in your ZIP code. You may share this information to individuals and organizations you know who are willing to give wheelchairs to people needing them the most.