Partnership builds ramp for a veteran

UPS and Algona-based EZ-ACCESS have teamed up to provide ramps for veterans who don’t qualify for traditional benefits through existing programs.

December 9, 2015 7:27 pm
Martin Williams and friends.
Martin Williams and friends.

For the Reporter

UPS and Algona-based EZ-ACCESS have teamed up to provide ramps for veterans who don’t qualify for traditional benefits through existing programs.

The program, Operation Ramp it Up for Veterans, has set out to complete ramp installations for veterans.

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, UPS and EZ-ACCESS installed a ramp at Martin Williams’ Seattle home. The ramp gives Williams a more independent life, enabling him to get out of his home unassisted, make doctor appointments, go to the store and socialize with family and friends.

Williams, a Vietnam veteran affected by Agent Orange and decorated with a Purple Heart, worked on aircraft engines in Connecticut and moved to Seattle to become part of the Boeing program in the late 1970s. He was forced to retire when the effects of Agent Orange compromised his ability to work.

Moving forward, UPS and EZ-ACCESS plan to install 30-40 ramps in 2016 throughout the country, expanding the program to Michigan, New York, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.