Executive Director
Maren Holtz
Maren is a wheelchair user, a former occupational therapist and the person who bought the first ramp. She leads most walk-throughs and still does Saturday deliveries.
Who we are
Run by the people it's for
Every board member is disabled, and so are five of our seven staff.
Board meetings are open to anyone: second Tuesday of the month, captioned, in the front room and on Zoom.
Since 2014
It started with a borrowed ramp
In 2014, Maren Holtz needed a ramp for a friend's wedding and found that the only way to get one in Madison was to buy it. She bought it, lent it out eleven times that summer, and started a spreadsheet.
Twelve years later the spreadsheet is a booking system, the ramp is one of forty pieces of gear, and the people who once borrowed things now run the board. We are funded by members, small gifts, and the fees organizations pay for interpreters and walk-throughs.
Staff and board
The people you'll talk to
Everyone answers their own email. VP and text work for all of us.
Our history
Twelve years on the east side
2014
One ramp, eleven loans
Maren buys a 6 ft ramp for a wedding and lends it out all summer from her garage on Russell Street.
2016
The gear library opens
A donated garage on Atwood Avenue, twelve pieces of equipment and a paper sign-out book.
2018
The interpreter roster
Deaf members ask for a say in who interprets for them. The roster starts with nine interpreters they chose.
2020
Everything goes online
The chronic-illness circle starts on Zoom and turns out to suit people who could never get to the room anyway. It stays online.
2023
First walk-through
A Lutheran church on the east side asks for help. Sixty-three buildings later, it's a program.
2026
Captioning for church streams
Six CART captioners join the roster, and twelve congregations now caption their Sunday livestreams.
Partners
Who we work alongside
We are a small collective. These groups make it possible to do more than our size suggests.
- Atwood Neighbors AssociationLandlord of the garage
Lends us the garage for a dollar a year.
- DaneCountyDeafClubSince 2018
Shapes the interpreter roster and co-hosts the ASL coffee hour.
- Schenk Street Rec CenterSaturday courts
Gives us the gym for wheelchair basketball every Saturday.
- Lake City CaptioningCART partner
Trains our captioners and covers overflow bookings.
Contact
Write, call, VP or text
We answer within one working day. If something on this site or at an event wasn't accessible, please tell us; we'd rather know.
- Address2418 Atwood Ave, Madison, WI 53704
- Phone(555) 016-2200
- Emailhello@example.org
- OfficeMon–Fri 10 AM – 5 PM · VP (555) 016-2201
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