Gary Maddox appointed to national board

Access II’s Executive Director, Gary Maddox has been appointed to the National Board of Directors for the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL). APRIL is organized to promote independence and strive for full rights and benefits for individuals with disabilities living in rural environments

“I have attended yearly APRIL conferences since 1996” stated Maddox. “I’ve found the conferences and the organization to be a valuable tool for our rural center.”

Several of the most pressing issues facing rural residents are transportation, affordable housing and access to social services.

“Take transportation for instance” said Maddox “Public transportation is non-existent for 41% of rural residents. Even though 27% of the United States population consists of rural residents, only 5.5% of federal transportation funds are allocated to rural populations. While the city folks are asking for more buses with lifts, our folks are still looking for a bus!”

Statistics indicate that rural Americans experience social, health, economic and educational disadvantages equal to, or greater than, their central city counterparts. Each of these illustrations correlate with the availability of transportation. Therefore, a person’s quality of life increases through the availability of transportation services enabling each person to achieve independent living, employment, and participation in community and individual activities.

While rural living is uniquely different from the urban city life, nationally, the issues facing individuals with disabilities in rural America have many similarities reported Maddox. In focusing on the broader issues and sharing experiences and solutions we can bring these back into the communities in which we live to bring about positive change.

“I’m looking forward to working with APRIL,” said Maddox.