A Message from Theo Braddy: The First Time
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This is Theo Braddy, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living, bringing you my latest message. The title is “The First Time.”
There are moments in life that change everything, moments you never forget. For me, one of those moments came rushing back recently, like a floodgate of memories breaking wide open.
I was sitting on my patio when a longtime friend and colleague stopped by. We’ve shared many conversations before about the challenges we face, but this time was different. This friend, a Certified Mobility Consultant for Total Mobility Services, casually mentioned that one of his clients was coming in a couple of days to pick up his newly modified van — after nearly a year and a half of being without one.
That simple statement stopped me for a moment of reflection.
Suddenly, I was 29 years old again, standing on the edge of independence. With the help of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), I received my first modified van.
It had an automatic lift and hand controls, and for the first time, I could drive myself wherever I wanted to go. I can still feel the joy of that moment, the freedom, the possibility, the independence it created for me.
Fast forward to today: I now serve on the OVR Board, that very same Office of Vocational Rehabilitation that once made my own first-time experience possible. Talk about coming around full circle.
So, when I heard about this client getting his van, I knew I had to be there. I knew what he was about to feel.
So, I reached out to my OVR contacts immediately, Chris Harbert, sharing the idea that this could be more than just a van delivery; it could be a celebration of independence, a real-life story worth telling. To my surprise and delight, OVR’s Executive Director, Ryan Hyde, agreed to attend as well. He even brought his press team.
That day, we gathered at Total Mobility Services. I’ve been through this process myself five times now, across four decades, but it never loses its magic.
We toured the facility, met the staff, and then came the moment, the customer’s moment. He gets to see and experience the new, modified van, which has been customized uniquely for his specific disability.
He rolled into his van for the very first time. He started the engine. His face lit up with a smile that said everything words can’t capture.
In that instant, I was right back again to my first own first time. Because here’s the truth: a modified vehicle is more than transportation. It’s liberation. It’s knowing you can come and go when you want, without having to beg, to wait, or depend on anyone else.
Without OVR’s vehicle modification program, I wouldn’t have had a career. I wouldn’t have been able to take my kids to basketball and softball practices and games or visit colleges with them. I wouldn’t have had the independence to live fully in my community. That program changed my life, and it continues to change lives today.
Yes, these modifications are expensive. But they’re not just about costs; they are about an investment. Investments that pay back over and over again when people with disabilities work, when they parent, when they contribute, and when they thrive.
That day, standing beside the OVR Director, the press team, and another customer, experiencing his “first time,” I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Grateful for OVR. Grateful for the people who fight to keep these programs alive. Grateful to witness the transformation that comes with independence.
Because once you’ve felt that for the “first time”, the freedom of driving away in your own accessible van, you never forget it. And you never stop fighting to make sure others get that feeling too.
So now I ask you: have you had your own “first-time” experience with independence? If so, I’d love to hear it.
This is Theo Braddy. Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living. Until next time. Bye-bye now.
Theo Braddy
Executive Director
National Council on Independent Living
About NCIL
NCIL is the longest-running national cross-disability grassroots organization, driven by and dedicated to people with disabilities. Since its founding in 1982, NCIL has represented thousands of organizations and individuals, advocating tirelessly for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities across the United States.
