6/21/2009: Naperville, IL—Fight for Accessibility Is Bumpy Ride for Man with CMT

At age 13 Yuill began showing signs of Charcot-Marie-Tooth, a neuromuscular disease often referred to as CMT. It progressed to a point where he had to wear braces. He started with metal braces, and later, plastic.

Because the braces do not hinge at the ankle, you can't walk in them," he said.

While he has a vehicle with a chair-lift, Yuill often just takes his wheelchair to run nearby errands. He began using the manual chair in 2005. Late last summer, he switched to a power chair. It was also last year that Yuill lost Connie, his wife of nearly 50 years.

Now retired, Yuill volunteers one day a week at church and is looking to volunteer elsewhere in the city.

"I want to do things. I'm only 72 years old, and that's OK," he said. "I'm not going to roll up and be idle."

But that takes effort -- and not just on his part.

Evaluating the needs of individuals with disabilities has become a priority for Naperville, which, for the first time this year, made it one of the city's strategic goals.

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