Above: Variety's Mobility PSA with Jamie Lee Curtis
Bike rides, beach days, trips to the park – these are all staples of childhood
that kids with disabilities want to experience. They want to be active and
mobile like other children in their communities.
But the durable medical equipment necessary to give these kids the independence
they desire is often too expensive for many families, especially those with
a low household income or too many other expenses necessary for raising
a child with special needs. And insurance isn’t always the answer - in many
cases, devices like adaptive bikes and special needs strollers are denied,
despite their immense physical and therapeutic benefits, because insurance
doesn’t consider them to be necessary items. Even wheelchairs can take up
to two years to be funded by insurance.
This is where Variety steps in. Variety Kids on the Go! aims
to help kids gain mobility, confidence, freedom, independence and the chance
to join in the life of their community by providing funding for walkers,
wheelchairs, specially-designed adaptive bikes, strollers, prosthetic limbs
and other devices to families with the most need.