Mobility Supercenter Moves into West Ashley

The freedom to walk, run, drive and generally just move around on ones own is often taken for granted by people without a disability, Mobility Supercenter, opening next month in West Ashley, wants to give as much of that same freedom to people with disabilities as possible.

Established in Richmond, Va., Mobility Supercenter doesn't sell wheelchairs, what Mobility Consultant David Dise calls durable medical equipment. Rather the company focuses on helping wheelchair bound individuals and others with physical disabilities make sure their homes and cars allow them to be mobile in their wheelchairs.

"We don't sell durable medical equipment, we make sure they are mobile in it," Dise said. "It's about finding solutions for people. We want to give people their lives back."

Mobility Supercenter will carry several examples of ramps, elevators and lifts (both for the home and vehicles), and it will adapt vehicles to accommodate disabled people. For example, Dise said, it can install foot controls in almost any vehicle to allow a person without arms to drive it safely. The company provides training for drivers once the new equipment is installed.

Company founders Robin and Erick Hernandez fell in love with Charleston and recently moved here to open the new store at 932 Savannah Hwy., which Dise said will initially serve the whole state and as far south as Savannah, Ga., while the Hernandezes work to establish Mobility Supercenter as a regional brand.

"Let's say you need a lift to get up the steps at your home," Dise said. "People go online to research and buy a product and then have to find a local contractor who may never have seen one before to install it."

"Right now if you or your child or grandchild is in a wheelchair, you have to navigate these waters by yourself,"

Instead of buying something that may or may not work sight unseen, people can test out various products in the Mobility Supercenter showroom. Dise said the company is working to embed itself in the Lowcountry community and make the connections with the social workers, organizations and companies that are serving the disabled population, so that they can also help people find the right contractors to install the products.

Unless someone is well versed in the lift, ramp, elevator and other mobility products industry, it is easy for them to wind up being undersold or oversold on a mobility product, Dise said. The showroom atmosphere allows consultants like Dise to discuss a person's individual needs in detail before they recommend a product.

"Is it something that is going to get worse six months from now, if so you may need a different kind of product that will still be able to accommodate their needs then," Dise said.

While being able to move around inside ones own home is extremely important for people with disabilities, being able to move around within the larger community is just as important, Dise said. That's why Mobility Supercenter focuses just as heavily on automotive issues as improving home environments.

Mobility Supercenter will eventually have a working auto shop attached to the showroom where technicians will be installing lifts and ramps on vehicles or adapting the steering and other mechanisms for use by people with disabilities. In Virginia that part of the business has evolved to include all the services of a standard auto shop including oil changes and other maintenance procedures.

"If you have a wheelchair accessible vehicle, the mechanisms are very sensitive, and when you take it in for a oil change or tune-up they can get knocked out of whack," Dise said. "So we will be servicing those types of vehicles here."

Mobility Supercenter will be hiring staff for the new store, and it is looking for at least two salespeople immediately, Dise said. The company is looking for people with a commitment to service, who are already plugged in with the local organizations and companies that work with the disabled population.

The company works a lot with people on Medicaid, military veterans and veterans' groups like the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and will often forgo a profit and in some cases sell products at a loss to ensure that a customer has the freedom to move around at home and in the community, Dise said.

Eventually Mobility Supercenter will be looking for automotive technicians to service the vehicles and install various mobility products as well.