With the recent retirement of founder John Bussani, the 42-year old Bussani Mobility Team has undergone a restructure and installation of a three-man executive team. According to the company’s new Chief Executive Officer Dan Bussani who formerly served as vice president under his father’s leadership, the company was purchased by himself and two partners who have been long-time employees.

Bussani teamed up with Gen. Mgr. Dan Walsh and Accountant Stephen Wilmer to make the purchase. When a larger company made an offer to John Bussani to buy his business, the three came together. According to John Bussani the employees’ offer was accepted in order to keep the “personal customer experience.”

Small Business Feel

“We want to keep the small business feel,” said Dan Bussani. “I think people like to do business with small companies. We don’t want the customer to become just a number. None of us want to get so big that it gets [...]

One of the local pioneers of the mobility industry, John Bussani, has passed the torch to the next generation. John, who founded Bussani Mobility 42 years ago, recently announced his retirement.

Bussani remembers riding on a train in the dark with the sounds of war blaring all around, as his mother held him below the window to protect him. At five years of age, he and his mother were fleeing Yugoslavia to join his father who had defected to Italy to make a better life for them.

He had his first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, at age 11, from the ship that brought his family to America. They settled in Hoboken, N.J. and then moved to Freeport, N.Y.

Bussani served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. While hospitalized with a broken arm in Germany, [...]

Yesterday, State Farm sponsored the donation of a wheelchair accessible van to WWII Veteran Sidney Germanski. We were so happy to be able to host the ceremony at the Bussani Mobility Team’s Mamaroneck, NY location, and provide the mobility conversion.

After learning of a local Mamaroneck Veteran’s struggle with daily transportation, State Farm coordinated with Bussani Mobility Team to secure a van and worked with Star Body Collision to have it equipped to meet his needs. The 2007 Dodge Caravan is a wheelchair conversion with fold-out ramp and wheelchair tie-downs.

92-year old Sidney Germanski is legally blind,

A new mobility minivan, the Chrysler Pacifica, has officially been unveiled. The vehicle is so elegant that Car and Driver calls it “one of the best-looking van bodies ever plopped atop four wheels.” BraunAbility has designed conversions for people living with physical disabilities. Features vary somewhat, but here’s a look at what you can expect when you get behind the wheel.

The Pacifica offers power side-entry with in-floor ramp and interchangeable front seats. There is slightly more space than in its Town & Country counterpart. The interior styling is reminiscent of a Chrysler 300 sedan, and the luxurious two-tone leather and wood accents will make both driver and passengers feel pampered. In addition to style, the Pacifica boasts better handling and noise control.

The minivan also comes with great technology, with UConnect, a second-row entertainment system filled with games and perfect for long car [...]

The fifth annual National Mobility Awareness Month contest kicks off today — and three wheelchair accessible vans are up for grabs!

Started by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA), the awareness movement and its online contest are designed to educate seniors, veterans, caregivers and people with disabilities about wheelchair accessible vehicles and adaptive mobility equipment options that enable them to live an active and mobile life. And it’s working. In the last four years, the online Local Heroes Contest has touched the lives of more than 10 million people across the U.S. and Canada.

Bussani Mobility Team is proud to join NMEDA in this year’s contest, which starts today! Those eligible to win the wheelchair accessible vehicles are encouraged to submit either written or videotaped stories of how they are triumphing [...]

Luigi waits for no one. Instead, he’s in the driver’s seat — and he’s helping others. The Bussani Mobility team in Mamaroneck, NY, customized his 2010 VW Routan with EMC driving aids, so Luigi drives from his wheelchair using an electronic brake and throttle operated by hand and an electronic remote steering wheel. His story (below) was originally posted on the Uber blog on May 27, 2015 by Mikaela.

Today, we’re going Behind the Wheel with Luigi, one of our top-rated uberX partners here in Connecticut. Luigi was born and raised in Italy outside of Venice. His 2 oldest children spent most of their childhood there until Luigi and his wife decided to move to the US. He now lives with his family in Rye, NY.

Luigi first learned about Uber from his 18-year old son. [...]

by Heather Borden Herve, published by GoodMorningWilton.com on August 10, 2015

Wilton resident Greg Jacobson is a dad, step-dad and husband. A former pro-golfer, he’s got the can-do enthusiasm and driven spirit of the professional athlete he once was.

He also has multiple sclerosis, something he was diagnosed with four years ago at the age of 50, just after he married Alison Jacobson. It has impacted his daily ability to do everything, and rapidly. Recently, he took a realistic look at his situation and recognized that a mobility van–one equipped to accommodate his wheelchair and his own lack of mobility–would make a world of difference. But such a vehicle would be exorbitantly expensive. That’s where the wider community, Wilton and beyond, stepped in to help.

We asked Greg to share the story of how he was able to get his much needed van, something he took possession of only one week ago. He also unexpectedly was able [...]

The changing of the season is always a good time to do a maintenance check on your vehicle. With Spring now upon us, the technicians at our full-service auto shop have these tips to help keep your wheelchair accessible van in tip-top shape.

1. Use It – Letting a vehicle sit around can be just as harmful as excessive use. For instance, a three year-old wheelchair van with under 10,000 miles will often need new tires or hoses or gaskets, all due to dry rot.

2. Regular Maintenance – Keeping up with scheduled maintenance is as important with a converted vehicle as oil is to the engine. That includes proper lubricants, alignment, and most important, upgrades.

3. Find a Service Facility You Trust – Be sure to take the vehicle to an auto shop that knows how to work on conversions.

4. Understand Your Manual Overrides – Wheelchair accessible vans are equipped with manual overrides [...]

Four wheelchair accessible vans will be given away this May as part of the fourth annual National Mobility Awareness Month contest. The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) is sponsoring the event, with the participation of local dealers like Bussani Mobility Team all across North America.

“Over 18 million people in the U.S. and Canada have mobility challenges. But so many aren’t aware of the adaptive driving options that are available to help them live an active and mobile lifestyle,” said Daniel J. Bussani, Vice President at Bussani Mobility Team. “The National Mobility Awareness Month contest helps to spread the word, raising awareness about how adaptive vehicles can change peoples’ lives and give them new hope to live out their dreams.”

The search is now on through the online contest for four Local Heroes in North America who have a story to tell about how they are [...]

Have you heard that the first wheelchair accessible SUV is coming soon!?!

Built on the 2015 Ford Explorer chassis, the BraunAbility MXV™ wheelchair accessible SUV personifies action and independence while allowing for easy access and safe driving by people who use wheelchairs.   A prototype of the vehicle will be on display at the Special Needs Expo Long Island this Sunday courtesy of local mobility dealer Bussani Mobility Team and manufacturer BraunAbility.  The expo brings the special needs community together for a fun-filled and informative day. Admission is free. It’s taking place 11am-4pm at the Long Island Hilton (598 Broad Hollow Rd, Melville, NY).

“The MXV represents a new era in mobility,” said Daniel Bussani, Vice President at Bussani Mobility Team. “This is nothing short of a breakthrough in mobility transportation options for people living with physical disabilities. It offers great new options for people to express their [...]