I am beside myself. For the last three years I have been working on getting a new adaptive van with VR assistance. I raised money, jumped through all the hoops and passed the driver's pre-tests last year. Meanwhile I already drive an adaptive van but the testing is a prerequisite. I was supposed to have the driver's training ( 10 hours) set up with a vendor. First the vendor told me he would not allow my service dog to be in his vehicle. I fought that all the way up to the PAC in Tallahassee and they agreed that I was right. This process took 6 months. Then I kept waiting to be contacted by the vendor, emailing my VR counselor every 2 weeks, who kept telling me to be patient, that I'd be contacted. Finally I'd had enough and contacted the advocacy center again. They agreed that I'd waited far too long, investigated the problem and found that I'd have *never* been contacted as VR wrote a contract for 3 hours of training and the vendor refused to sign for less than the 10 hours he recommended. So once again, their mistake and I've paid for it by waiting ONE YEAR total for any progress.
Meanwhile the A/C went out in my van, I now have a transmission leak, and engine block leak. I asked VR to pay for the repairs as it's their fault I've waited a year. I have the $$ saved for a downpayment but cannot use those funds to repair my old van, partly because those funds were raised for a new van and are in a trust fund, and partly because even if funds were released, then I'd not have enough $$ for a new van. I was denied, then I asked for a denial in writing so I could appeal. I was then approved for at least an assessment of repair costs (wonder how that magically happened?). I have heard nothing more about whether or not they'll pay for repairs and this was last week.Also, I drove for over an hour in the grueling heat to get the assessment only to find that VR had sent me to a repair shop that wasn't w/c accessible.
Finally I was contacted this week about the training but was told I'd have to drive to a van shop that is 1 1/2 hours from my home. I told my counselor I was not going to drive that far in a vehicle with no a/c and failing parts. They arranged for a transportation service...BUT, the service will not take my SD, so here we go again.
To make matters worse, I got home tonight and found an email from my counselor who contacted Access Lynx here in Orlando and stated that since I'm eligible for public transportation, VR will no longer provide services. So...they are now refusing to pay for the adaptations on the new van that they approved and that I've been saving for telling me to take the bus.
I am furious. I know this is passive-aggressiveness on the part of my counselor as I know she got in trouble for her part in the delays over my SD and over the approved hours where she botched the approval. I also know plenty of disabled individuals who live near me, could also "take the bus" and for whom VR has provided funding for an adapted van.
What would you do? Call a lawyer? Call the newspaper? I definitely want to expose what VR has put me through all with public tax dollars.---Kathy
Meanwhile the A/C went out in my van, I now have a transmission leak, and engine block leak. I asked VR to pay for the repairs as it's their fault I've waited a year. I have the $$ saved for a downpayment but cannot use those funds to repair my old van, partly because those funds were raised for a new van and are in a trust fund, and partly because even if funds were released, then I'd not have enough $$ for a new van. I was denied, then I asked for a denial in writing so I could appeal. I was then approved for at least an assessment of repair costs (wonder how that magically happened?). I have heard nothing more about whether or not they'll pay for repairs and this was last week.Also, I drove for over an hour in the grueling heat to get the assessment only to find that VR had sent me to a repair shop that wasn't w/c accessible.
Finally I was contacted this week about the training but was told I'd have to drive to a van shop that is 1 1/2 hours from my home. I told my counselor I was not going to drive that far in a vehicle with no a/c and failing parts. They arranged for a transportation service...BUT, the service will not take my SD, so here we go again.
To make matters worse, I got home tonight and found an email from my counselor who contacted Access Lynx here in Orlando and stated that since I'm eligible for public transportation, VR will no longer provide services. So...they are now refusing to pay for the adaptations on the new van that they approved and that I've been saving for telling me to take the bus.
I am furious. I know this is passive-aggressiveness on the part of my counselor as I know she got in trouble for her part in the delays over my SD and over the approved hours where she botched the approval. I also know plenty of disabled individuals who live near me, could also "take the bus" and for whom VR has provided funding for an adapted van.
What would you do? Call a lawyer? Call the newspaper? I definitely want to expose what VR has put me through all with public tax dollars.---Kathy
