National Assistive Technology Act Data System

A young woman needed a loan for an accessible van. Her DTI was fine, but her credit score was below bank standards. She is young and needs more time to build enough credit history, but what credit she has so far is spotless. She lives within her means and puts 15% or more of her income in savings each month to put down a third of the cost of the van. She has paralysis of her lower body and uses a wheelchair. She says her dream is to have a vehicle to be more independent in getting to work and appointments for herself and her baby. She says that when she has a goal, she takes it seriously, as shown in her determination to save for this van. This woman is also a VR client and works for the Department of Labor, so she has much support. The loan committee voted to guarantee this loan, but before I could process it, the client called me back to say she had received an additional $4,000 to put down on the van from her DOL career planner’s husband, who rallied his team at work to raise the money. She also told me that her local Center for Independent Living director was teaching her to drive. Then the vendor called to say he was putting some extra work into the van and wanted to reduce the price for the client because he wanted her first vehicle to be a great experience. When all was said and done, the loan came out to less than half the original amount we approved.