Website
Contact information
- Email: info@bikeprogram.org
- Phone: (734) 484-2758
Organization background/mission
PEAC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, that advocates for transportation equity for Michiganders with disabilities. Their travel training programs teach people to ride bikes and use public transit safely and independently.
It all started in 1988, when a special education student was injured in a car crash while riding his bike. In response, PEAC’s founder, John Waterman, started a new bike safety program in response. That bike program paved the way to PEAC becoming a nonprofit dedicated to cycling education and travel training for individuals with disabilities.
So far, they’ve had:
- 5,000 students attend their Summer Cycling Program
- 4,000 students reach their personal cycling goal
- 4,500 student trips on the SMART bus every year
Community Grants Project
PEAC is only as strong as the partnerships they create, locally, statewide, and nationally. Through the Community Grant, PEAC has been able to create connections with 9 organizations involved in working with individuals with disabilities and/or biking. For example, participants were excited to learn about the Adaptive MoGo program which is an accessible, affordable option to continuously ride adaptive bikes.
This experience has been proof-positive that biking is an activity that is very sought after throughout the disability community.
Project Activities
Over 30 individuals participated at different events in Metro Detroit, thank in part to a special partnership with MoGo. Adaptive MoGo offers cycling options for riders of all abilities. They supplied specialized equipment, including recumbent tricycles, upright cargo tricycles, hand tricycles, tandem bicycles, tandem tricycles, side-by-side quadricycles, and a box-bike, to ensure that riders of all abilities could participate.
Results
- 100% of surveyed participants said they enjoyed their experience
- 73% of surveyed participants said they would use Adaptive MoGo in the future
- “Staff was friendly, knowledgeable about different style bikes.”
- “I had a lot of fun trying out adaptive bikes for the first time. It was new to me but I felt safe with the guidance provided."
Barriers
One major concern for PEAC is securing appropriate spaces to hold demonstration events. It proved to be a difficult task if the partner organizations did not have space themselves. They had to reach out to other organizations, including Metroparks, MoGo, and the Velodrome to use their spaces.
As a small nonprofit, data is a secondary priority for all our programs. The Community Grant Project provided guidance and support in creating evaluations and surveys that were accessible and thorough.
Sustainability
The grant provided PEAC with an opportunity to connect with other community organizations, including Therapeutic Concepts, Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, Psygenics, Warriors on Wheels, MoGo and Huron-Clinton Metroparks. As a result of the grant, individuals have reached out regarding other opportunities to learn how to ride, including being part of our various programs and the cycling community throughout southeastern Michigan. The grant provided PEAC with the opportunity to collaborate with researchers interested in the benefits of cycling programs for individuals with disabilities. As a result, they were able to be part of an application for a Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project.