CUSTOM MUSTANG REVS UP NEW PARKING PSA
Jackson Heights, NY—United Spinal Association member and professional racecar driver Carol Hollfelder of Tiger Racing lent her custom Ford Mustang for a fast-paced and exciting new public service announcement targeting accessible parking for people with disabilities. The PSA, sponsored by United Spinal, also showcases United Spinal member and quad rugby Paralympian Mark Zupan—star of the Academy Award nominated documentary Murderball.
United Spinal Association, a national disability rights organization, has been at the forefront of the battle to secure and defend the rights of all people with disabilities. Accessibility issues have been a major focus of the organization for more than 60 years.
“The importance of an accessible parking space is a matter of independence,” says Hollfelder, who is active in many disability related issues. “Many people view accessible parking as a privilege but it’s really a matter of giving people with disabilities the ability to function more freely in society.”
Misuse of parking reserved for people with disabilities is a little-known, but daily, frustration for the disabled community and inconsiderate use of these spots restricts their ability to shop, attend cultural events, make doctor appointments, and actively participate in the life of their communities.
The PSA features Hollfelder’s custom Ford Mustang and skillfully blends courtside shots of Zupan in his quad rugby wheelchair and behind the wheel. Set against a backdrop of a powerful soundtrack, the spot dramatically contrasts Zupan’s game strategy with his efforts to move a thoughtless driver out of an accessible parking spot. With rapid visual cross-cuts and Zupan’s sharp narration, viewers are left with the clear message that parking in an accessible spot, even for a minute, is “60 seconds too long.”
Hollfelder, who sustained a spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident in 1987, is also a member of United Spinal’s Motorsports committee devoted to encouraging people with disabilities, including individuals who use adaptive automotive equipment, to participate in competitive motorsports.
Working with United Spinal’s Motorsports program, Hollfelder, who has been racing for about eight years, hopes to illuminate and promote adaptive motorsports. “I drove a racecar before I was injured and I just want to continue to drive,” Hollfelder says. “As a paraplegic, I can do that. All I need are hand controls. Motorsports are still kind of a secret to people, but the technology is available that makes racing open to people with disabilities. And not just behind the wheel. People with all levels of disability can be involved whether it’s timing and scoring, registration, promotion or other areas.”
Government studies estimate that the number of vehicles adapted for use by people with disabilities currently exceeds 400,000 and this figure is bound to grow as age-related disabilities affect a greater portion of our population.
Hollfelder’s racing began with club events at Willow Springs, Riverside Raceway and other historic tracks. Driving courses came first and then club races using her street car. It was an automatic because a decade ago there were no hand controls for a manual transmission. In 1999, Carol won Sports Car Club of America’s Cal Club Regional Championship in the T1 class. She currently races a 2003 Mustang equipped with a paddle-shifter system provided by Ford Advanced Powertrain.
Further, Hollfelder hopes to show other people with disabilities that nothing is beyond their reach, not even the ultra competitive world of motorsports. She is also looking ahead in her own driving. Endurance racing with her husband at Daytona is a goal that she looks forward to achieving. For more on Carol Hollfelder and Tiger Racing, visit www.Tiger-Racing.com To view the PSA, click on the image below.
To find out more about United Spinal’s exciting new motorsports program, call 800.404.2898, ext.239 or email motorsports@unitedspinal.org. Visit United Spinal’s motorsports page at www.unitedspinal.org/publications/action/motorsports-living-life-in-motion/.
United Spinal Association is a national advocacy and disability rights organization dedicated to providing expertise, creating access to resources and strengthening hope, thereby enabling people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) to fulfill their potential as active members of their communities. Guided by the belief that the benefits of athletic competition are no different for athletes with disabilities than for the able-bodied, the Association also sponsors a wide variety of wheelchair recreational and adaptive sports programs. Membership in United Spinal is free and open to all individuals with spinal cord disabilities. For more information visit www.unitedspinal.org or call our toll-free number, 800-404-2898.
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