Brian Carter first saw Wheelchair Getaways, a
wheelchair-accessible van rental company, advertised in a disabled
services directory in 1995. When Carter, who has spina bifida,
called the Versailles, Kentucky, company, he realized it offered
more than a transportation solution.
"We help disabled individuals who may feel trapped at home
by providing them the opportunity for [business ownership],"
explains Stewart Gatewood, president of Wheelchair Getaways, which
has 31 franchises in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Carter had used a power wheelchair as a student at the
University of Kentucky. "With no way to transport the chair,
there was nowhere I could [go] but to classes and back," says
Carter, 25.
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In 1996, he, his mother, Noretta von Helm, and friend Norita
Rowe became partners in Getaways' only Kentucky franchise.
Thanks to advertising and referrals, Carter's fleet has
grown to three full-sized vans and four minivans. "It's
fantastic when you see people who can't get out, and all of a
sudden they've got this van and they can travel and do what
they want," says Carter. "That's where the real joy
in this business comes in."