 Photo by Marty Grivjack
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| Donna Batelaan designed the home where she and Dave live in Boynton Beach, Florida. |
Tips from Dave and Donna
Florida Kiwanians Dave and Donna Batelaan, who have both used wheelchairs most of their lives, offer their advice:
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Remember that people who are in wheelchairs are thinking in the same ways you are. “There is a myth,” explains Donna, “that if you sit, you don’t think.”
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Don’t be afraid to use the term “walk” when you want someone in a wheelchair to accompany you somewhere.
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Physical disability does not indicate mental disability.
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Though you may be eager to assist someone who is in a wheelchair, it’s often best to wait until that individual asks for help.
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Offer any common courtesy (such as holding a door open) to someone in a wheelchair as you would to anyone else.
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People
‘Subtle’ differences make all the difference
Donna Batelaan describes the impact she and husband Dave made on Kiwanis as “subtle.” But for Kiwanians and others who live with disabilities, sometimes subtle differences mean a sense of inclusiveness, comfort, and security that pack a big impact.
Donna and Dave, both members of the Kiwanis Club of Palm Springs, Florida, have used wheelchairs most of their lives. Donna contracted polio at age 5, and Dave was born with spina bifida. They learned early in life that if they wanted accessibility, they would need to advocate for themselves—in school, in careers, and even in Kiwanis.
“I learned the (accessibility) laws whenever they became available,” Donna says. When she finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois about 30 years ago, she notes, the school had one of the only programs that included physical accessibility for people who have disabilities. Among its offerings: wheelchair-accessible buses and a wheelchair sports program.
“That really started my advocacy activities,” she says.
For Florida resident Dave, the catalyst was sports. He became involved in wheelchair sports, played basketball, and traveled to Europe with the wheelchair Olympic team. Eventually, he helped form the Florida Wheelchair Games.
Donna notes that around this time, people with disabilities began to take action for accommodation. “There was a time period,” she says, “when people spoke for people with disabilities, but in the 70s, (people with disabilities) began to say, ‘Oh no, we can speak for ourselves.”
She had moved to Florida, where she later married Dave, and became president of the Florida Council of Handicapped Organizations. Dave became the state director for the White House Conference of Handicapped Individuals—input from which was the basis for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
“None of us had any money, and none of the groups (that were part of the council) had any money,” Donna says. “But in one year in Tallahassee, we passed 14 major bills.”
Now, Donna and Dave own Action Mobility Products and Services, which sells products to assist those who live with disabilities (products such as lifting equipment and elevators). They also offer ADA consulting for home modifications and commercial businesses. And Kiwanis.
“We love to go to the International convention,” Donna says, listing Hawaii and New Orleans as among her favorites. “We love to travel all over the world.”
But when the Batelaans attended their first International convention—in Salt Lake City, Utah—they found the convention tours and some accommodations inaccessible to them. The next year in Denver, when Dave was a lieutenant governor, accessibility also was a disappointment.
So, when then-International President Nettles Brown visited the Florida District, the Batelaans arranged to speak with him and open the door to discussions on the importance of accessibility and inclusiveness.
And when Donna decided to run for district governor, Florida District secretary George Langguth and International President-Elect Steve Siemens took the opportunity to consult with her and bring the International Office and its meetings up to speed.
“George is especially sensitive and understands the laws,” Donna says. “I told him that if I was going to be in (Kiwanis), I was going to be in the organization. Kiwanis wasn’t something I had to be in—I was making it a choice, and I was not going to sit back in the corner!
“And when I came to Indianapolis (for governors-elect training), nothing was overlooked. There was nothing I couldn’t do.”
As governor-elect, Donna set out to make sure everyone would be comfortable during her future visits to club, division, and district events. She drafted some “ground rules” to assist:
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No buffets. Those are just impractical for people in wheelchairs, and they result in everyone feeling uncomfortable. “If they had to have a buffet, I asked to make sure there was someone on hand to get our food for us.”
“I wanted to be sure everyone would be comfortable, and we would be welcomed like anyone else,” she says. “For some, it was an education about what some of the issues are and how simple it is to accommodate those who have disabilities.”
As for International conventions, some simple changes again went a long way. Among them: leaving spaces for wheelchairs in the seating area of general sessions—instead of setting aside a single corner away from other delegates; asking delegates to raise their hands (or placards, as they did this past year) to indicate a vote—instead of asking them to stand; and tour options that are accessible.
“Subtly,” Donna says, “we made a difference.”
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