Don Price uses experiences to support others with disabilities in AZ – The Arizona Republic

Don Price came from humble beginnings. Growing up with his family in West Bend, Wisconsin, Price could always be found on the field. From track and cross country to football and basketball, Price has played the sport before. At the end of his senior year, he was set to attend the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. In the summer of 1982, his life changed forever.

While swimming with friends, Price, who was 18 at the time,was in a diving accident and rushed to the emergency room. For seven months, Price remained in the hospital and at a rehabilitation center where he received treatment for a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.

My life changed completely. I didnt know anyone with a disability before my accident. And now suddenly, I was disabled and quadriplegic. It changed my entire direction in life, Price, now 58, said.

Watching his family help him through his rehabilitation was hard on him, Price said. He focused on all of the losses he had, particularly not being able to run again. At this point in his life, his identity was mostly formed by his participation in sports and physical activity. He even thought about going into forestry before his accident.

Price knew that his injury would cause things in his life to change, but he had no idea what would be ahead of him. Later in his life,he wasalso able toacknowledgethe positiveshis time in the hospital and rehabilitation center brought. Through the help of those who worked with him in the rehabilitation center, he was able to get his life back on track.

I was able to find the optimism I had buried under the loss when I learned and figured out new ways to do things. I found strength in me I didnt realize was there, Price said.

After those seven months, Price said he found out that wheelchairs and snow do not mix well together. In 1986, he decided to make the move to Arizona. He attended Arizona State University, where he received two bachelor's degrees in geography, urban studies, and computer information systems.

After arriving at ASU, Price formed friendships with five other students who used wheelchairs. They became one anothers support group and peer mentors. They pushed one another to do things they would not have done on their own. He found new talents he did not recognize before his accident. Price still remains in contact with his peer mentor group.

During these years, he learned important life skills like budgeting, time management and energy conservation. Price feels like he truly got a degree in life at ASU. He learned skills he needed to live and accommodate his disability while using both his body and his brain.

"I became a professional student because I really didn't know what I wanted to do. So Icontinued to go to school, and I loved every minute of it. I could have stayed in school forever," Price said.

Price said he continues to learn new things. He remains a loyal Sun Devil sports fan and has already purchased his season tickets to Sun Devil hockey this fall.

While continuing his education at ASU, Price began volunteering for Ability360, formerly known as ABIL. Ability360 is a 501(c)(3) run by people with disabilitiesfor people with disabilitiesby providing support to address barriers and needs in the community.He wanted to work as a mentor to other people who had experienced accidents similar to his. He was a student in the organization's first peer mentor class and has been with them since. After volunteering with them for some time, he applied for a full-time job at Ability360.

Price has been Ability360s early intervention coordinator ever since he landed the job in 2004. As the early intervention coordinator, Price is responsible for supporting people with disabilities and providing them with community resources. These tasks are done in hopes of helping both the individual and their family adapt and learn about life with a disability. The "early" part of his title is quite subjective. For some people, early intervention may mean within one month of treatment, but for others it may mean years.

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The reason this program works is because Ive been there, and I can remember what they are going through. After I meet with them, I leave the ball in their court. There is a thing as too soon sometimes, and you dont want to force somebody into something, which is why I wait for them to contact me, Price said.

Price said his strategy is to focus on developing personal connections with everyone he meets. By finding out peoples individual interests, he is able to better assess their needs and provide them with the correct resources, he said. He considers it a privilege to be able to work as the early intervention coordinator and is proud of the growth the organization has made since he joined them.

Price has seen firsthand how Ability360 has grown since its inception in 1981.As the years have gone by, the organization has been able to implement many programs that Price said he has had the opportunity to be involved in. One such program is the Disability Survival Guide. This magazine was created as a resource guide for people, including memoirs from other people with disabilities and how they have learned to adapt.

Working to update the magazine with a team, Price helped introduce a more contemporary version of the original, featuring colors and stellar photography. He even used to have his own column where he would take trips around the Valleyto test the accessibility of different locations, like the Arizona Science Center.Price's work turned the magazine into Livability Magazine, which eventually focused on the whole Southwest. Livability is currently on hiatus, but its content still publishes regularly online.

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Ability360 has been able to expand in other ways. Moving out of itssmaller offices as the organization grew, itnow hasa $13 million universally accessible sports and fitness center. Price is clearly proud of how the organization has grown. The fitness center features strength, cardio and weight rooms; indoor sports courts; an aquatic center; climbing wall; and indoor jogging track. Across the street is Ability360s conference center. The Nina Mason Pulliam Conference Center features two meeting rooms, two classrooms, a rooftop patio, office spaces and caf.

Price has a vision to create a room at thecenter that is all about adaptive equipment. He hopes that by creating this, people would be able to come and try different types of equipment and see what works best for them before having to spend a large sum of money.

There is a definite process to adapting to a disability. It doesnt happen overnight. You go through good and bad days, but just having people there to support you along the way makes it a lot easier, Price said.

Reach reporter Lauren Kobley atLKobley@gannett.com or on Twitter@LKobley.

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Don Price uses experiences to support others with disabilities in AZ - The Arizona Republic