Winnebago Industries has announced its alignment with the RVing Accessibility Group and its co-founder, Mark Douglass.
The collaboration kicks off at the 2019 Elkhart RV Dealer Open House Sept. 23-27 in Elkhart.
Along with the display of both the Forza 34T and the Adventurer 30T 2020 AE models, Winnebago and Douglass plan to work together to continue to grow the mobility market by utilizing his years of personal experience with their commitment to providing RV access opportunities for the mobility impaired.
“I am thrilled to be working closely with the Winnebago Industries Specialty Vehicles Division to bring further awareness to accessibility and RV travel,” said Douglass. “I have a passion for providing travelers and their caregivers with relevant and accurate information about RVing and this partnership will help bring this messaging to an even wider audience.”
Douglass holds more than 20 years of hands-on experience as a disabled RV traveler, as well as his designation as a professional Accessiologist (accessibility specialist). He has received classroom and hands-on accessibility training from the National Center on Accessibility at the University of Indiana, U.S. Access Board, ADA National Symposiums, and the U.S. Department of Justice. In this role, Douglass is also able to examine and evaluate recreational settings for levels of accessibility for both the end-user and the business owner.
“We look forward to combining Mark’s real-world experience with Winnebago’s commitment to providing world-class AE innovations,” explained Robert Kim, Director, Winnebago Industries Specialty Vehicles. “And as our brand ambassador, Mark will continue to raise awareness for inclusive and accessible recreational facilities through education, example and experience.”
On the heels of the debut of its updated 2020 Accessibility-Enhanced motorhomes, Winnebago will continue to grow its AE lineup for both purchase and rental opportunities. Current retail dealers include Stoltzfus RV, US Adventure RV, and Lazydays RV. Rental opportunities are available with Brambillas and Fraserway RV, with multiple locations in Canada.
“We are always looking for new and creative ways to serve this important customer base,” says Winnebago Industries Specialty Vehicle Division Sales Manager Jennifer Butters. “The goal of formalizing this product line is to normalize the process of having an accessibility-enhanced RV in stock for dealers. We want to make the purchase experience less mysterious and more commonplace for both the dealer and potential customer. Partnerships with well-known industry leaders like Douglass create great opportunities to drive market awareness for accessibility RVing.”
