News & Tips

Thank you JoLynne Lyon of the Utah AT Act Program (UATP) for this alternative financing program success story.

Prakash Krishnamoorthy and his family were having a hard time getting out of the house. His son could not walk, and the boy was growing fast. “It’s not easy for me to lift him and put him in the van, and then dismantle the wheelchair and put it in the van,” he said.

Over the past two years the Salt Lake area family found themselves staying home more and more. Caring for their boy took both parents’ attention. As they looked into purchasing a wheelchair-accessible van, they discovered what we hear from so many clients: the cost of the van’s modifications pushed the price well beyond its blue-book value. It made financing the purchase very difficult.

Krishnamoorthy’s doctor told him about the Utah Assistive Technology Program’s financing options, and he gave UATP a call. UATP’s Lois Summers did more than help finance the purchase; she also helped the bank understand why the van cost so much more than the purchase price. UATP partners with Zions Bank on AT loans, and the company has been a great help in working with families who need assistive technology.

Because UATP and Zions helped Krishnamoorthy get a reduced interest rate, it was possible for the family to afford more of the features they wanted. “The van is going to be with us for 10, 15 years,” Krishnamoorthy said. “We’ll need it always.”

They found their van via an online site that connects buyers nationwide with available vans. It took some weeks for the van to be delivered, but once it arrived Krishnamoorthy took his son to their primary care doctor, and later on an outing to find a place where he could receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

They also visited the IKEA store and went to a farmers’ market that had animals and fun things to do. It was a chance for both of their children to get out of the house; in the past it had been hard to take their daughter anywhere because both parents were caring for their son.

Krishnamoorthy’s son likes to be in the action, he said. “He loves the crowd.”

Now he will experience more of it.

To learn more about financial loans for the purchase of assistive technology and AT services, Find Your State or Territory Financial Loan Program.