David T. Williams possesses the three p’s necessary to lead the Rehab Technology Council of the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) as its first executive director: personality, political experience, and consumer perspective as a wheelchair user.

“When you blend together my experience as someone who has worked in a public-policy position on a state and federal level, as a consumer, and as someone who is working in a technology company, it is a pretty nice little set of experience to bring to the job,” says Williams, who fills the executive director role on a part-time basis while retaining his position as director of government relations for Invacare Corp of Elyria, Ohio.

Political Junkie
Williams came by his political expertise through years of personal interest in the topic as well as professional experience. He became a political consultant and lobbyist after working in the Ohio state government for Gov Dick Celeste and managing a state agency that mediates disagreements between consumers and the Ohio Rehabilitation Service Commission.

After the governor’s term ended, Williams set up his own shop. “I decided that if I buy a briefcase, rent an office, and put my name on it, I must be an expert,” he says. Invacare became his first client in January 1991.

Even before his tenure with Gov Celeste, however, politics played a role in Williams’ life. The Amherst, Ohio, resident admits to being a political junkie since his youth. He inherited it from his father, with whom he discussed politics and history. “The more we talked, the more I liked it,” he says. “It just became part of who I was. To me, Election Day is better than Christmas.”

Williams admires political figures from both sides of the aisle and does not let party lines get in his way. “While I am a partisan Democrat, I have some very good friends who are Republicans,” he says.

It is that ability to see beyond partisan politics that impresses Gary Gilberti, council chair and president of Chesapeake Rehab Equipment in Baltimore. “Dave has an ability to bring people together to work on issues,” he says. “He is a very level-headed thinker.”

Personal Passion
Increasing public awareness of the fact that rehab technology providers deal with more than just wheelchairs is important to Williams. “Rehab is a universe of products that enable people to fulfill the IPI dream: independence, productivity, and integration,” he says.

Williams himself relies on rehab technology to maintain his active lifestyle. He has multiple sclerosis and has used a wheelchair since 1978. “From my personal experience, I can tell you that individuals with disabilities want nothing more than what everyone else wants,” he says. “They want to be as independent as they possibly can.”

Being a user of rehab technology adds drive to Williams’ goals for the Rehab Technology Council, which include increasing the number of rehab technology providers in AAHomecare—in December, the council had 82 rehab companies as members—and establishing the council as the voice of rehab technology providers.

“We need to find out what is important to them, and what are the barriers to them doing business the way they would like to do it,” he says.

Amy K. Hooper is a freelance writer for Dealer/Provider.