Tracy Bull
The initial message that arrived nominating Tracy Bull, Assistive Technology Practitioner with the SEAT (Successful Employment through Assistive Technology) program, began: “I am not a writer, but I can list just a few of the things he has done above and beyond his job duties without expecting even a thank you. ‘Thank you’ does not even begin to cover the help he has provided to our staff and our ability to provide the best possible services for out clients.” And what followed was a full page which more than justified the nomination. Meanwhile, word got around and this office began receiving numerous endorsement notes from colleagues that confirmed, yes, they were all bullish on Tracy.
Included in the many affirmative statements were:
“He treats everyone the same from all walks of life… He brings a logical economical approach to problems and looks at them as opportunities…He knows almost every piece of assistive technology in the areas of home modification, transportation, mobility and computer access…Frankly, he is one of the smartest people I have ever known, especially in the areas of technology and disabilities.”
“All staff (even other programs) look to him for leadership…creative, visionary…likes to get things completed…communicates his energy and enthusiasm on working with any person with a disability and modifies, fabricates, and/or designs technology for all staff…He is our glue… [he] donated his time to do wheelchair cleaning for the Ms. Wheelchair America contestants this last July.”
“We all think the world of Tracy, and I have always said that there are very few people in this world that care about others the way [Tracy] does…Those that know Tracy will understand when we say, ‘He not only talks the talk but walks the walk;’ for those that don’t know him: he exemplifies what serving the customer is all about… he provides 90% of the modifications, adaptations, mounting, and designing of assistive technology plus seating and positioning for our clients.”
“Tracy is one of those people that you just love to be around – he is so genuine; he’s funny as all get-out but when it comes to work issues… his actions speak louder than any words…he cares so deeply for not only the customers he serves, but for whoever may need help; he has even worked on equipment at his house at night/weekends… some for customers, but some are just people from his community that don’t have anyone to help them. He doesn’t ask why – he just does it!”
Perhaps it wasn’t too unexpected that getting the man of the month to accept his honor was slightly daunting. “The whole thing just means that we work together really well for the same purpose... there are so many people who deserve this more than me… I could tell you lots of stories about them.”
However, never known to back down from a challenge, we persevered and found out a little bit about Mr. Bull.
Born and raised in Perryville, Tracy continues to reside there today, along with wife Kim, who is Purchasing Assistant the ARS Central Office, and kids Jake, 19, and Charly, 13. He is active in his community as part of the Volunteer Fire Department; is President of the Board of the Perry County Day Center Board, which serves adults with developmental disabilities; is Sunday School supervisor and teacher at Perryville United Methodist Church; and is on the Board of
Partners for Inclusive Communities through UAMS.
Following graduation from Perryville High School, Tracy attended UCA in Conway and worked part-time at Easter Seals on the Direct Care Staff and the Recreation Staff; during summers, he continued to work there in Occupational Therapy, and began learning about the building of assistive equipment; he had found the work he would pursue though 12 years with Easter Seals and, upon learning of an opening with ICAN (Increasing Capabilities Access Network) in February of 2002, for the past four and a half years with ARS.
Today he consults on all Assistive Technology questions as needed, and carries out assessments for customers at home, on job sites, and/or in educational settings. “What I like about this job particularly is that, after we study and recommend devices for our clients, we’re also able to watch them use what we’ve found will work best, and see how they progress. It’s rewarding.”
A couple of years ago, wrote a co-worker, “I had a great nephew that was in a car accident that left him a paraplegic,” and at 5 years of age, was “small, so transfer and home modifications were not as great of a concern. Now that he is growing, my family is realizing that they have quite a few issues to tackle in the coming years. I know who I want them to talk to because of his knowledge and caring attitude… and that is Tracy Bull.”
