Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (Democrat) signed two bills into law to help 5,000 wheelchair users in the state.
The law gives wheelchair repair companies a 10-day period to provide service.
Jonathan Sigworth, who has used a wheelchair for 18 years, said the law would make his life a little easier.
“Rather than the pressure of traveling across the state to a store with broken equipment in search of faster service, we now have a real option to get our repairs done in a timely manner in the safety of our own homes,” said Sigworth, CEO of More Than Walking. “Responses regarding repair times should be made within one business day, whether by phone or email. This greatly improves access, especially for non-verbal people like us.”
The legislation directs states to establish hotlines through which customers can report substandard repair shops.
Some Connecticut residents have been waiting more than three months for wheelchair repairs.
The law will come into effect on July 1st.
The second bill would require clinics with three or more exam rooms to have accessible examination tables and scales.
The deadline for purchasing the equipment is January 2026.
At the bill signing ceremony, Governor Lamont also announced that Connecticut has received a $17 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to connect high school graduates with disabilities with employers.
“What we’re trying to do is focus on the 6,000 to 7,000 young people with disabilities and special needs who graduate from high school in Connecticut every year,” Lamont said, “making sure we know who they are, making sure employers know who they are, connecting them with jobs that are out there and making sure everyone has the best opportunity.”
CT was one of four U.S. states selected for the grant.