The August Update

Oakland Wheelchair Repairs ends October 1st

It is with heavy hearts that we must announce the end of providing our wheelchair repair services in the City of Oakland. It has been an honor to serve you but funding for our wheelchair repair services will end on September 30. We have yet to identify another funding source, therefore, we will stop serving Oakland wheelchair repair clients, but we are in discussions with the Center for Independent Living about collaborating with our wheelchair repair staff. This was not an easy decision and we’re sorry to have to put a stop to our wheelchair repair work in Oakland. In the months to come we look forward to sharing more information about how to get quality wheelchair repair services.

Wheelchair Rescue Rides with Wheelchair Repair Is Still Available

Thanks to the continued support of the Alameda County Transportation Commission, Oakland and northern Alameda County residents can continue to utilize our Wheelchair Rescue Ride Service. If a complete breakdown of your mobility equipment outside of your house ever happens, northern Alameda County residents will be able to get a free accessible van ride back to their home. Thanks to changes to our contract, if your wheelchair stops working outside your home and if our Repair Team is unable to fix your power chair on the spot, they can take it back to our repair shop for complete repair work and can provide you with a loaner power or manual wheelchair until it is repaired.

The Center for Independent Living also offers Repair Services

The Center for Independent Living also offers Wheelchair Repair Services to the community at large. Due to volunteer repair staff, they’re unable to offer same day services like our repair team, but they’re still able to offer their services in the City of Oakland. Thanks to their wheelchair repair program being led by John Benson, we have the upmost confidence in their ability to provide quality wheelchair repair services for Oakland clients and encourage you to reach out them should you need assistance after October 1st.

Learn More

Community Accessible Transportation Presentation

Our teams have been able to connect many residents with our respective services through multiple presentations at the Oakland Senior Centers, thanks to a partnership with The Center for Independent Living, The City of Oakland Senior Centers as well as their Aging and Adult Services division. Oakland city staff spoke at length about the many subsidized transportation options available to Oakland Seniors. The CIL offered free travel training for these transportation options, and EDI continues to offer Free Roadside Assistance to any Persons with Disabilities. We have one final virtual presentation that will be hosted over Zoom on Thursday 21st at 1:30 pm.

Accessible Futures Resolution

Image Source: The Bay Link

The Accessible Futures Conference held June 16–17 at the Bay Area Metro Center in San Francisco, brought together a diverse coalition of stakeholders from across the 9-county Bay Area to envision a more inclusive transportation future. Sponsored by MTC-ABAG, the event centered on the voices of people with multiple disabilities and fostered dialogue among government officials, service providers, and advocates. Participants shared lived experiences and collaborated on forward-thinking strategies in housing, transportation, employment, and independent living. The resulting resolution reflects a powerful commitment to equity and accessibility, aligning with global and national frameworks such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The final resolution called for stronger communication and advocacy to ensure that every individual with physical disabilities in our region can safely and easily use public transportation. Read their full resolution to learn more.

Read the Resolution

Pacific Center’s 1st ever Berkeley Pride Celebration

When it comes to Pride events, there’s no competing with San Francisco’s legendary parade; but that just means we get to celebrate Pride in August now too. We’re honored to have been able to participate in the City of Berkeley’s first ever Pride Celebration, made possible by the Pacific Center for Human Growth, the oldest LGBTQIA+ center in the Bay Area, the third oldest in the nation. We were able to connect with new and old clients to share information about our social safety net services. We were also lucky enough to run into the Berkeley Fire Department and offer insight on how to safely move power chairs and their users in the event of a natural disaster.

Tabling with RCD, CRIL, and the Berkeley Senior Centers

Shortly after The CIL’s ADA Anniversary Celebration, we were able to take part in events with RCD Housing, Community Resources for Independent Living, and the Berkeley Senior Centers. RCD hosted a series of Resource Fairs for their residents; we were pleased to be able to connect clients both new and old to them. The North Berkeley Senior Center hosted a party that rivaled last year’s EDI Day Celebration, it was a treat to be able to participate in their Summer Fun Festival. Finally, Community Resources for Independent Living hosted another party to honor the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.