Lance Bullard and John Holmgreen inspect a vehicle’s new adaptive equipment as part of TTI’s long-running contract with the Department of Rehabilitative Services.

For the last 28 years, the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) has been quietly improving the lives of people suffering from a myriad of life-changing illnesses — from debilitating arthritis to paralysis — that prevent them from driving. The four-member TTI team from the Riverside Campus responsible for improving mobility for this population has just learned that the long-running contract with the Texas Department of Rehabilitative Services (DARS) has been renewed for another two years.

“I would have to say that this project is the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my career,” says Lance Bullard, head of TTI’s Safety and Structural Systems Division. He is also the DARS project engineer. “To see the tears of joy from these people gives us the satisfaction of knowing that we helped change their lives for the better. It’s a great feeling.”

Since 1985, TTI has been an integral part of making sure that disabled individuals are able to drive. TTI’s role is multi-faceted and includes inspecting the adaptive equipment prescribed for individuals. The equipment, from various manufacturers, includes hand-control devices, pedal modifications, restraint systems, wheelchair ramps, lifts, and driver-seat adaptations.

“We have two inspectors who review the paperwork to make sure that, on paper at least, the prescribed equipment matches an individual’s needs,” says Associate Research Specialist Rebecca Haug. “They make sure the order is fairly priced and it meets DARS standards.”

Once the new adaptive equipment is installed, the vehicle and its new components are inspected. And, just as importantly, TTI ensures the DARS customer can operate the equipment safely and easily.

The Institute maintains an equipment database and reviews new products to make sure they are acceptable for the DARS program. Bullard and Research Technician Eric Bradley will also visit the products’ manufacturers to make sure quality-control measures are being met.

But the most rewarding part of the job is meeting with the customers as they get into their newly equipped vehicle for the first time.

“They suddenly realize that, finally, they will be on the road again,” says Bullard. “Being able to drive means a return of their independence and freedom. No longer will they have to rely on someone else for transportation. For them, it’s a turning point in their lives.”

Franklin McMurrian, center, poses with the people who helped celebrate his driving independence. TTI employees who helped inspect his new truck are (standing, left) Eric Bradley, Lance Bullard and John Holmgreen.

In 1995, 16-year-old Franklin McMurrian had dreams of becoming a sports star — the NBA or NFL, it really didn’t matter. Achievable, perhaps, but for Franklin it suddenly became impossible.

“A friend and me were horsing around with a gun,” McMurrian recalls of the incident that changed his life. It turned out the gun was loaded, and his friend accidently pulled the trigger. “I was on the floor, and I just remember not being able to get up.” The bullet went through McMurrian’s neck, paralyzing him from the chest down.

He went on to high school, graduate from college, become a database production analyst, get married and have four kids. Yet having achieved all that, despite the odds, he never felt independent. Everywhere he went, someone else had to drive. A new dream had replaced his visions of being a professional athlete: the dream of independence, of not having to rely on others to take him places. This summer, with the help of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), that dream finally came true.

After getting connected with United Access of Dallas (a provider of wheelchair accessible vehicles and vehicle modification equipment) and the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), which helped him pay for a modified truck of his own, McMurrian’s quest for independence began to become reality.

Franklin McMurrian’s new truck is modified with special driving equipment and a special door for accessibility.

“For years, TTI has quietly worked behind the scenes on this project that’s become one of the most rewarding things I do for the Institute,” Lance Bullard, head of TTI’s Roadside Safety and Physical Security Division, says. “TTI makes sure the equipment meets the DARS standards. We inspect these modified vehicles and the equipment and make sure everything is safe.”

Bullard, Associate Research Specialist John Holmgreen and Research Technician Eric Bradley worked with McMurrian this summer to make sure the truck, the special equipment, and McMurrian were all a good fit.

“TTI made sure everything was right and that I was safe on the road,” McMurrian said. “It’s clear they know what they are doing, and they made the entire process pleasurable.”

“There are a lot of arguments these days about what taxpayers should be spending money on, but in these cases, these are taxpayers, and they simply want to get back to work,” explains General Manager Ryan McClaskey of United Access of Dallas.

His marketing manager, Laura Klaus, agrees: “DARS and TTI provide freedom and independence, allowing folks to do everyday things. A lot of our clients drive off in tears. But they are happy tears.”

McMurrian was no exception.

“After getting into my truck for the first time and driving home, I remember thinking, ‘I’m free.’” When McMurrian got home, he went inside, looked out the window at his truck, and began to cry.

From his home in Richardson to his job in Irving, it’s a 25.3 mile trip one way.

“I wake up in the morning, excited about going to work, excited about living. And if there’s a lot of traffic, that’s fine,” McMurrian says. “It’s no problem for me. I like to take my time.”

| Franklin McMurrian: In His Own Words