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On the Go

This franchisee uses her own disability to her advantage.

By Amy Lee

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Why did Audrey Ribero, 41, leave her job as a systems analyst for a biotech firm in Northern California to become the owner of three wheelchair- and scooter-accessible van-rental franchises? A paraplegic as a result of a car accident, Ribero understands the challenges disabled people face when traveling. "If I can make it easier for them when they get here, that's what I try to do," she says.

Ribero first discovered Wheelchair Getaways on a business trip to Boston. It was her first time traveling as a disabled person, and Ribero was able to rent a wheelchair-accessible van and travel in comfort like anyone else. "I was impressed that it was so easy for a disabled person to travel and thought 'This would be great in the Bay area.'"

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