Newby-Vance Mobility (NVM), located within the John Vance Group in Guthrie, has been trusted for 30 + years to serve individuals and families with special transportation and driving-related needs.
“We are a mobility vehicle and adaptive equipment dealer. We sell, service, rent and warranty wheelchair accessible vehicles and related adaptive mobility equipment, all at a single location,” Marcus Newby, NVM’s General Manager said.
Based on the unique and individual needs of people, there is a wide continuum of specially adapted vehicles and services.
This can range from a simple steering device to an electric scooter lift installed in a vehicle, to a set of hand controls for someone to drive independently.
They also provide fully adapted wheelchair accessible vehicles that allow people in wheelchairs to independently enter and exit the vehicle; options exist for driving from a wheelchair or riding as a passenger in a wheelchair or by transferring to a seat. An evaluation of people’s needs and wants is critically important to identifying the best solutions for any given person or family.
Newby added that his goal as a mobility specialist is to sit down with customers and learn of their unique situations and challenges. From this a plan emerges that can maximize the customer’s ability to be mobile, independently or with assistance; the plan may include a specialized vehicle or a simple item of adaptive equipment. Suddenly, options open in people’s lives in areas of life such as going to school, job maintenance, getting to-from work, going to church and doctor’s appointments, or simply going shopping.
“The overall goal is to assist people and families in maintaining and improving their quality of life with work, friends and family,” he said.
Newby-Vance Mobility opened for business in January 1996.
Their story begins with two landmark federal laws: the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. As these laws opened school doors
to students with disabilities, one critical barrier remained: transportation.
Newby said his father Dr. Jim Newby witnessed this firsthand as New Mexico’s State Director of Special Education.
“Jim spent his entire career working with children and youth with special needs in the public-school sector,” Newby said.
Newby said this was a time when families were forced to navigate a fragmented transportation service system: buying vehicles from automobile dealers, then seeking modifications elsewhere with no single point of service or accountability when things went wrong. Jim knew there had to be a better way. The integrated public school system was the model.
“The idea emerged…why can’t I go to an automobile dealership and propose the creation of an inclusive business that provides these special vehicles and services at an auto dealership?” Newby said.
Dr. Newby envisioned a fully integrated model, one that unified vehicle sales, accessibility engineering, and service support under one roof.
In 1995, he shared that vision and proposal with the multi-franchise dealer principal, Mr. John Vance, and together they founded Newby-Vance Mobility in early 1996.
Today, Newby-Vance Mobility is Oklahoma’s largest mobility dealer, now with two locations, the original “north store” in Guthrie, at 5632 S. Division Street, and the newest “south store” in Oklahoma City at 7500 South Shields Avenue.
“So, if you come to Newby-Vance Mobility within the family of John Vance Motors, and you have a unique challenge that necessitates the use a wheelchair, or walker, and you need an accessible vehicle, and/or specially adapted driving equipment, you can come here and be met and treated just like anybody else,” Newby said. “We can help you figure out how your needs can be met, whether it’s a special vehicle, or specialized equipment. Before you spend your hard-earned money, we can tell you whether a particular vehicle, or equipment, is compatible with your needs or not. We can help you get an idea of your needs and help you purchase the vehicle and the equipment, everything all at a single location, just like anybody else that has a need to be mobile, to acquire a user-friendly vehicle. That’s our goal.”
Newby said that Newby-Vance Mobility is a certified dealer/vendor that also specializes in transportation-related services for Veterans through the Veterans Administration (VA).
NVM benefits veterans because they can experience that same level of service and sales at one location.
“We have many veterans with disabilities come to us and they are not aware of the VA or other veteran programs designed to help them with their transportation-related mobility needs. NVM is very well-rehearsed in the programs that the VA offers,” Newby said. “If you are an eligible veteran, the VA may very well assist you with adaptive mobility equipment for your vehicle.”
Newby said that NVM works to educate veterans about mobility equipment they might be eligible for through the VA.
“NVM also works with other veteran advocacy organizations such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America to learn how to go to the VA and exactly what the process is that they go through to apply for these benefits,” he said.
Newby remarked that it is an honor to serve veterans.
“Veterans always have a special place in our heart because of what they’ve done for our country,” he said. “We try to go above and beyond to give Veterans the most streamlined experience they can have of figuring out exactly what they need, and what is available related to vehicle adaptations and, how to go through the process of the VA to determine eligibility.”
Newby said Newby-Vance Mobility works with the VA on the commercial side as well.
“We just delivered seven wheelchair accessible vehicles to the Veterans Administration in Oklahoma City. We’ve sold many of these to the VA hospitals around the state,” he said. “We work with the
VA regional hospital and living centers on the commercial side; we service their wheelchair lifts in many of their wheelchair accessible buses – these busses are used to transport many Veterans to-from the area VA living centers. It is an honor, and a good feeling to work with both the VA Hospitals and VA Regional Living Centers on the commercial side, and the Veterans themselves on the personal side.”
Newby said Newby-Vance Mobility treats veterans and all its customers as family.
“We pride ourselves that…after a purchase is made, that’s when our real job starts, and that’s taking care of these folks for as long as they own that special vehicle or equipment, and keeping them on the road,” he said. • Story and photos by Van Mitchell, staff writer
For more information about Newby-Vance Mobility call
(405)-282-3113 or (405)-778-2013 or visit www.newbyvancemobility.com.
