So you’re driving down the road and the car decides it has had enough. You’re in a wheelchair or you have a passenger in a wheelchair. What to do? That was the question Patricia Kosta had in 1999 when she started the ADA Nationwide Roadside Assistance. She designed and manufactured a tow truck that was wheelchair-accessible, the first of its kind in the country

Ms. Kosta realized that it would be impossible to keep up with the number of tow trucks needed for disabled travelers, so she established a nationwide coalition with road service providers and formed her company. Now tow service is available across the country for vehicles adapted for the disabled as well as transportation for stranded drivers needing transportation.

The organization is managed by providing 1,2 and 3 year memberships with benefits including much more than just roadside assistance. You are provided 4 emergency calls per year that include the following:

----Lift service in circumstances where your lift malfunctions
----Emergency towing with a response time of no more than 45 minutes
----Roadside battery repair or replacement and if the vehicle will not start, towing will be provided.
----Mechanical adjustments or towing for vehicles that cannot be fixed on the road
----Tire repair, replacement or changes
----Winching service or towing if vehicle cannot be extricated
----Lockout service for lost keys or those locked in the vehicle including the cost of a locksmith
----Delivery of fluids including fuel
----Passenger transportation

In addition, they provide emergency medical assistance including transportation, prescription delivery and transporting physicians to a hotel in an emergency situation. They are available 365 days a year, 24 hours per day. An assistant trained to give personal service and arrange aid based on personal need staffs the toll free number.

ADA Nationwide Roadside Assistance also contracts with limousine services, buses, taxis, rental car companies, city and state vehicles and emergency vehicles. The coverage for members is increasingly including services other than the standard services provided for vehicle service. Think restaurant reservation and referrals, gift delivery, stock quotes, sports quotes, lottery results, reminders.

And then there are travel assistance services. There is assistance for passports and other required travel documents, assistance with lost baggage and security and evacuation assistance. The company aims to provide very complete solutions to all the needs of people with disabilities. They attempt to make services available that are not addressed by any other organization.

Patricia Kosta believes that people who are disabled are especially vulnerable to the dangers and hardships that roadside emergencies present. Due to her remarkable insight, she has found a solution available to prevent and/or resolve such difficulties. ADA Nationwide Roadside Assistance can be contacted by calling 1-800-720-3132.