My letter to Polaris:
Dear Polaris Industries Inc.,
I am writing on behalf of Nations Capital Handicapped Sports (NCHS) in regards to your Grant-In-Aid program. We would like to apply for the grant that you are offering clubs and associations to help promote and improve the sport of ATV riding. Below is a brief description of our organization, why we are applying for your grant and an explanation of the many ways we can help improve the sport of ATV riding.
NCHS is a nonprofit sports and recreation club that offers individuals with disabilities many different opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. Some of the activities include, but are not limited to, water and snow skiing clinics, trap and skeet shooting, camping, hiking trips, snowmobile riding, fishing and much, much more. NCHS is a chapter of Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) serving the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. area. For more information on DS/USA, I invite you to visit their web site at: http://www.dsusa.org/~dsusa/ or call their national headquarters in Rockville, Maryland at (301) 217-0960.
With the majority of our membership having mobility impairments (relying on wheelchairs, walkers or canes to get around), the desire to acquire an ATV has been mentioned more and more frequently. This would allow a much greater level of mobility and help to overcome the worry of "can I get there" for our members. It would also give us the ability to transport our equipment, tow trailers loaded with supplies, quickly get to persons in need and of course, provide another type of recreation for our members.
We have been looking for an ATV that will serve our members needs and have tried to take into account all areas of accessibility for our members. It has been decided that the best type would be either a 6X6 or 4X4 ATV equipped with an automatic transmission due to the fact that many of our members are unable to operate a shifter with their foot. The six or four wheel drive was decided on for peace of mind that getting stuck somewhere would not be a problem and it would also be helpful when towing personal water craft and other trailered items. Payload is another area that we have looked at because we quite often need to transport large bulky items such as water skis and snow skis, coolers and camping equipment.
We have searched the papers for an affordable ATV but to date, have been unsuccessful. As you can imagine, our financial situation as a nonprofit organization does not afford us the liberty to purchase a new Polaris and those that are out there are treasured items and not being sold. It is for this reason that we are applying for your Grant-in-Aid program.
I understand that the program is limited to a grant of $1000.00 or less but I would like to ask Polaris to consider making a donation of either six or four wheel drive ATV. If it is not possible to donate one to our chapter under the program, perhaps one at a reduced cost is possible. With this donation, we can successfully advertise your product to a whole new consumer group (the disabled community) as well as the non-disabled community. If not, and the program's guidelines must be adhered to, we would gladly accept any amount that was offered. In return, I know that NCHS can be a helpful instrument in advancing the sport of ATV riding.
As a nonprofit sports and recreation club for the disabled, we get a lot of press and media coverage. Almost all of our events are in the news papers such as the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun and television coverage has included all of the major local channels as well as CNN and ESPN. Coverage in the more popular disability related magazines such as Sports and Spokes and New Mobility, the two largest in circulation today, is common as well. By having our events covered in newspapers, magazines and television broadcasts across the country, Polaris would soon become the known as the dominant supplier of ATV's that are accessible and friendly to the disabled community. With more than 49 million people in this community, that's a very large and dedicated consumer group; one that would definitely help make Polaris the industry leader in sales and customer satisfaction.
As a wheelchair user, I am familiar with the needs of the disabled community and have a first hand knowledge of the various types of products and modifications that are often needed. It is for this reason that I would also like to make the personal offer to work with your staff to design and test accessories and minor modifications that would make your product more accessible to people with disabilities.
There are more and more individuals with disabilities getting back into outdoor recreation and hunting every day. Imagine how nice it would be for them to know that a company such as Polaris awarded a grant to a nonprofit disabled sports and recreation club like NCHS so that it's members could enjoy the outdoors to their fullest. Knowing that Polaris is working with such a group to improve the accessibility of their product would be yet another selling point. It would also help promote and improve the sport of ATV riding tremendously.
I look forward to hearing from you and working with you,
Mike Schmitz
Vice President
You recently wrote to Polaris regarding obtaining an ATV for Nation's Capital Handicapped Sports.
It is important for you to realize there are additional risks in operating an ATV if a person has a disability. Polaris and its dealers appreciate that disabled persons have the right to purchase and use all terrain vehicles. Due, however, to the increased risk of death or serious injury to which disabled person would be exposed in operating a Polaris ATV, Polaris does not recommend its ATVs for use by disabled persons. If a disabled person chooses to ignore this recommendation, extreme caution is advised.
All terrain vehicles, including all models manufactured by Polaris, are designed as rider active, off road vehicles. Such vehicles require the operator to shift his or her weight during turning and other operating maneuvers and may require the operator to react quickly to changing operating conditions. Polaris is very concerned about the possibility of losing control of the ATV due to the difficulties that a disabled person may encounter in shifting his or her body weight or reacting to changing operating conditions. Any delayed reaction time in shifting weight or using the operating controls could result in loss of control and death or serious injury. Moreover, ATVs are often operated in desolate, off-road terrain. If a person with disabilities were operating alone and fell off the ATV, any inability to remount the ATV could be a life-threatening situation depending on the weather and other factors. While individual differences would exist, the rider- active nature of an ATV is such that any persons not having the use of all four limbs would be at greater risk of death or serious injury when operating ATVs.
Polaris understands that an ATV often provides the best means for a disabled person to travel or move in an off-road environment. Consequently, if a disabled person chooses to assume the increased risk of death or serious injury by operating a Polaris ATV, the risk factors referenced above compel the use of extreme caution at all times. Rough terrain, sharp turns and excessive speed should be avoided. A person with disabilities should also ensure than he or she always comply with all on-product warning labels and all warnings and instructions in the Polaris owner's manual.
Under no circumstances should a Polaris ATV ever be modified structurally to accommodate an operator's disability. Although a modification may assist operation of the ATV by a disabled person in some situations, in others the modification may negatively affect the stability or safety of the ATV in a way that is not fully appreciated by a person not qualified to design all terrain vehicles. Consequently, the disadvantages resulting from the modification may well exceed the benefits.
Sincerely,
John H. Zimmerman
Warranty Manager
If you would like to write to them please do so. My only request is that you e-mail me a copy of the letter.
Thanks,
Mike Schmitz