CREATING independence and making life easier for people living with a disability has given local man Paul Vanderwoude the passion to develop a successful business.
The Kingston-On-Murray resident runs Mobility Mates, a Riverland business that specialises in mobile repair, sales and service of assistive equipment.
The inspiration behind the business came about after an unfortunate wheelchair incident with his son, Brock, who is unable to communicate and needs mobility assistance.
“Five years ago, I was pushing Brock in his wheelchair, the safety clip broke and the seat came away from its base,” Mr Vanderwoude said.
“Brock didn’t have the reflexes to brace a fall and unfortunately he hit the deck and needed three stitches in his head.
“It all happened so fast and was quite distressing at the time but he recovered pretty quickly.
“It was at that moment I wanted to make a difference and ensure something like this would never happen to another family.”
Mobility Mates has undergone many changes since it began.
“At first, it just started off as just an equipment repair and maintenance service,” Mr Vanderwoude said.
“I am a qualified diesel mechanic so I found it easy to mend broken equipment. After a little while, we saw the need for mobility equipment in the region and began to sell wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and things like that.
“About six months ago we introduced equipment hire and our range is slowly growing.
“This week Shoprider has a new scooter model released and I’m so excited to eventually get it in shop.”
Mr Vanderwoude said along with repairs, he also personalises equipment.
“There are some people who have no function in particular parts of their body, so it’s important a wheelchair or scooter can be accessible to suit their needs,” he said.
“There was one woman I personalised a wheelchair for, she had lost function in one hand, so I had to ensure that she could break her wheels all at one with one button.”
Mr Vanderwoude said a key aspect of the business was its ‘mobile’ status.
“Mobility Mates comes to its customers, not the other way around,” he said.
“We set the business up that way because we worked on the theory that if you have a mobility issue, it’s hard for you to get out and come to me.
“Some people come to us and that’s fine, but we are there to help you.”
Mr Vanderwoude said knowing he is making a difference to people’s lives gives him a “warm feeling”.
“The second scooter I ever sold was to a man who was so happy that after two weeks of using his new scooter, he hadn’t had a fall,” he said.
“He loved that he could be independent and go to the shops.
“He didn’t have to spend time driving around trying to find a car park because he was able to park the scooter inside.
“That gave me such a warm feeling and it’s because of that, that I love my job.”