alph Braun, Father of Mobility Movement
Eleventh in a series of stories about famous people with disabilities by Tina Jackson.
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” – Edward Everett Hale
The quote is a powerful reminder of individual agency and perseverance. Ralph Braun often used this quote to inspire him. It gave him strength in knowing the individual’s actions matter. You may not know the name, but I think of him every day as I load my power wheelchair into my minivan by lowering the ramp. This has allowed me to be active in my community and to travel. The necessity of finding reliable mobility for himself led him to create an invention and a company that changed my life and the lives of thousands of individuals worldwide.
Who was Ralph Braun?
Ralph Braun was born in Winamac, Indiana in 1941. When he was 7 years old, he was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy. In hisearly years, as his muscles strength and size decreased, his father carried him on his shoulders without complaining about back pain even though he had previous back injuries and had experienced serious surgery. “Necessity became the mother of invention,” so to speak, as this young man and his family worked to ensure he was included in mainstream America.
In 1955, at the age of 15, he built a motorized wagon with his father to use for mobility. In 1963, he created the world’s first battery-powered three-wheeled mobility scooter from parts from his cousin’s farm and used it to commute to his job as a quality control manager at a local manufacturer. According to Ralph, the parts included “a lawnmower differential, four big wheelbarrow tires, two 6-volt automotive batteries, makeshift wiring and switches I got from the hardware store, a kitchen chair, and a motor from a 1957 Pontiac kid’s car that he rescued from a mortician’s trash.” When his employer moved further away in the mid-sixties, he installed hand controls and a hydraulic tailgate lift in a used postal jeep, allowing him to drive independently and to carry his scooter with him.
Word spread of his inventions and he started getting requests for them. He assembled a team to help fill orders across the nation, all from his parents’ garage. As demand increased, Ralph decided to quit his full-time job to focus on his part-time business. In 1970, he added wheelchair platform lifts to full-sized vans Two years later, he founded the Braun Corporation. Throughout the seventies and eighties, the corporation developed and sold lift-equipped vans. It started doing advanced vehicle conversions in the 1990s, eventually becoming the global leader in producing wheelchair-accessible vehicles and lifts, acquiring several mobility companies along the way. In 2006, the Braun Corporation adopted the brand name, BraunAbility, for its personal-use products. As his business grew, he started over and developed new means to produce en mass after a fire ruined the manufacturing plant and requests continued to pour in.
The book, “Rise Above,” is 197 action-packed pages of what Ralph Braun experienced because of his disability (or should I say regardless of his handicap). As I read it, I saw my personal life in his company’s tag line: “Because life is a moving experience.” There was one paragraph that particularly related to me. Even though I own a handicap conversion van that was equipped by BraunAbility, I still know minimum details about how it works (or those times when it hasn’t worked.) But I was encouraged by the following paragraph: “A case in point is our hydraulic cylinders, which we manufacture at our plant in Winamac. We build them ourselves for a number ofreasons. First and foremost, we know that because of their unique circumstances, our disabled customers need to feel — beyond a shadow of a doubt — they can trust our products to be reliable, long-lasting, and completely safe. Every company should strive for those attributes in their products, but with us it’s especially so. If a lift or a ramp on one of our vehicles doesn’t work, wears out, or is unstable, our customers may have a harder time finding help. If our products are unreliable, our customers are stuck or, worse, in danger. Because I am in a chair and rely on lifts and ramps myself, I happen to have firsthand knowledge of why this is so important. That’s why our cylinders, as part of the ‘special sauce’ of our company, are important enough for us to build ourselves.”
Ralph shares how the Americans with Disabilities Act and the design of the Entervan (lowered floor minivan) have enabled many disabled folks like me to experience how “disability and mobility know no boundaries, geographic, or otherwise.” He also writes: “The necessity of finding reliable mobility led me to create an invention and a company that changed my life and the lives of thousands of individuals worldwide. In many ways, my ‘disability’ led to one valuable ‘ability,’ knowing firsthand the frustration of having your independence held back because society doesn’t think you deserve an invitation to the party.”
In his conclusion, Ralph said: “That special word, the mainstream, …it’s what I demanded for myself as I strove to find my way in the world and follow (my parents’) bright, shining example. It’s what I demanded for others who faced the same challenges I had and who desired more than anything in life to rise above those challenges. In closing, let me say this: as I continue to climb the ladder of life, I hope with all my heart that I never have to have you or your loved ones as customers. But if you should need us, we will be here, ready and willing to extend a helping hand. Rise above, my friends, and reach back to help others climb the ladder of life.”
After reading his book, I decided it was okay to refer to him as Ralph rather than Mr. Braun, or Braun. I felt like he was talking directly to me, or about me, and I would have his approval. I will conclude by sharing one of my own experiences. In spite of the cost and other factors, BraunAbility has stood behind one of their dealers (Ilderton Dodge in High Point) in trying to discover and solve a few problems when I have found myself unable to get in or out when the ramp and door failed to work. I believe now that my first mistake was failing to buy direct from a local dealership as opposed to ordering over the Internet. Even though I did not buy the van from IldertonDodge, the service department there has done everything they could to fix and return “my legs” in a timely manner when there has been a problem. Ilderton has direct contact with the engineers at BraunAbility.
Ralph was a father of five adult children. He ran the Braun Corporation from his hometown of Winamac, Indiana with his wife, Melody, until his death in 2013 at 72.
The company became a global leader in wheelchair-accessible vehicles and lifts, employing over 800 people. President Obama honored him at the White House as a Champion of Change for his contributions to STEM and disability equality.
Ralph Braun’s life is a testament to resilience, ingenuity, and the power of purpose. His legacy continues to empower millions around the world through the mobility solutions.
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