FLINT, Mich.— A Flint woman now has greater independence thanks to the Michigan Mobility & Accessibility Partnership (MMAP), a bipartisan effort led by Michigan Senators and sponsored by Comcast. A group of dedicated volunteers yesterday constructed a wheelchair-accessible ramp at the home of Katherine Price in Flint, the second of five such scheduled builds this summer.

“The ability to easily come and go from your own home is something many of us take for granted,” said Sen. John J. Gleason, D-Flushing. “Thanks to the dedication and hard work of Comcast, our local volunteers and The Disability Network, a local woman has realized improved mobility and accessibility at her home.”

MMAP is led by Senators throughout Michigan in collaboration with other elected officials, disability advocates and local volunteers to build wheelchair-accessible ramps for Michigan families in need. The group is building a total of five ramps throughout the state this summer.

Comcast has committed $30,000 in funding for construction of the ramps, as well as volunteers to assist with the ramp-building projects at each location. Comcast has a long-standing history of giving back to the communities where its employees and customers live and work. In April, approximately 2,400 volunteers dedicated more than 11,000 hours of community service to local nonprofit organizations across Michigan during the company’s 2009 Comcast Cares Day. Held annually, Comcast Cares Day is one of the largest single-day corporate volunteer efforts in the country.

“Comcast is constantly striving to have a positive impact in the communities we serve,” said Mary Beth Halprin, Vice President of Public Relations and Community Affairs for Comcast’s Michigan Region. “We are thrilled to be able to make Katherine’s daily life a little easier with this new wheelchair ramp, and we’re excited to work with our partners in the Michigan Senate and local disability advocates to help other families this summer.”

The first ramp was constructed in Rockford in early July. Future ramp builds are scheduled for:

Monroe: Friday, August 7

Lansing: Monday, August 17

Rochester: Monday, August 31

“Before this ramp, it was difficult for me to get in and out of my home,” saidKatherine Price, the Flintresident who had been using a temporary ramp to access her house for the past several months. “I am so grateful to everyone who volunteered to make this a reality and helped increase my independence.”

According to a May 2002 report, entitled “Wheelchair Use in the United States,” the Disability Statistics Center at the University of California at San Francisco stated that “an estimated 1.6 million Americans residing outside of assisted living facilities use wheelchairs.”

“There is an enormous need for wheelchair ramps throughout Michiganand right here in the Flintarea,” said Mike Zelley, President and CEO of The Disability Network. “We are delighted to be working with Comcast and the Michigan Senate to bring a little more independence to someone in our community.”

# # #