Alex Sprinkle

Alex Sprinkle

MHA student Alex Sprinkle discusses his internship with the Illini Scooter and Wheelchair Clinic at UIUC. 

I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Laura Rice, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a Physical Therapist with years of experience, and the passion, connections and seating specialist certification needed to assist Illinoisans with Disabilities in meeting their Scooter, Wheelchair, or other mobility device needs. Having taken classes with Dr. Rice in the past, I knew immediately that I would love to be a part of the clinic's team and that, although the clinic had only been in operation for a year, the potential mobility needs it could meet for those at UIUC and central Illinois would be immense.

Americans with Disabilities represent the largest underemployed population in the nation and because of this often find it difficult to take on the cost of receiving a mobility device prescription. My major purpose for the summer was to find a way to allow those community members with disabilities to utilize our services without it being a financial strain. While working with Dr. Rice I was able to propose the idea of utilizing a sliding fee scale, which was approved by the University. I also worked to let other organizations know of our services, and get the necessary information compiled so that future interns could work with Dr. Rice and the University to write grants which will provide even greater funding for those with lower incomes to have all their needs met.

Working with Dr. Rice I feel I was able to directly contribute to the success of the clinic and to improved health outcomes for our clients. I learned a great deal about writing appeals, and how to convey information in a clear and defined way. I'm thankful for the opportunity that Dr. Rice provided me with and would highly recommend that when the next cohort applies for their APE they would seriously consider the Illinois Scooter and Wheelchair Clinic as a place to learn and benefit the community