When Gov. Joe Lombardo signed Assembly Bill 407 on May 30, it marked a turning point for people with disabilities who rely on power wheelchairs.
The right-to-repair legislation addresses a long-standing problem: Manufacturers were not previously required to provide repair manuals, diagnostic tools or replacement parts to wheelchair users or independent shops. This often left wheelchair users dependent on a small network of authorized providers, resulting in excessive delays and limited access to timely repairs. AB 407 now requires manufacturers to make those resources available, opening the door for local repair shops and individuals to get the help they need more quickly and affordably.
Connor Fogal, a Reno-area artist and disability advocate born with cerebral palsy, uses an AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) device to speak. He played a pivotal role in advancing the bill. Motivated by a deep commitment to independence and dignity, he stepped forward to share his story and push for meaningful change.
“It literally threw my life upside down,” Connor wrote, describing what happened when his wheelchair needed repairs before the law passed. “I go from 85 to 90 percent independent down to zero.”
When his chair broke, he was forced into a manual wheelchair that he couldn’t push on his own. Tasks that many take for granted became impossible. The most difficult part, he said, was the long wait for repairs.
“We can get our cars fixed the same day or a day or two, but we have to wait six months to a year to get our chairs fixed,” Connor said. “I was fortunate enough that I could either work from home or go to the office. I know some of my friends who lost their jobs because they couldn’t get to work, because their chairs broke.”
That gap between what was possible and what was allowed became a turning point for Connor.
“In 2021, the wire to my joystick had a short in it, and one day, my chair wouldn’t work,” he said. “After hours of research and watching stories from other people who were in the same boat, I started thinking there should be a law that we can do our own repairs.”
Then he helped make that law a reality.
“It means the world to me knowing that I was the main reason why the law exists,” he wrote. “Knowing that I’m helping my disabled community in the whole state is just mind-blowing to me.”
Connor hopes AB 407 will open the door for small repair shops to begin offering services that were previously restricted by warranty limitations and Medicaid regulations.
“We depend on our wheelchairs like you depend on your legs,” he said.
Despite the passage of the bill, Connor still sees barriers. From strip-mall ramps located far from entrances to ongoing delays in wheelchair repairs and poor communication from providers, many obstacles to accessibility persist in the community.
His mother, Theresa Fogal, who lives in Florida, witnessed her son’s struggles firsthand.
“When his wheelchair was broken,” she said, “Connor lost not just independence, but dignity. The hardest part during those waiting periods is not knowing when the parts would come. The providers and suppliers did not communicate very well.”
Theresa sees the bill as a step toward more inclusive infrastructure.
“With the biggest hurdle being communication from the providers and the suppliers, our hope is that local repair shops will be able to get the parts quicker and the repairs done faster,” she said.
She described the complex repair system as a chain that starts with doctors and moves through Medicaid, providers and vendors. A single breakdown in communication can stall the entire process.
“We’ve all learned that the insurance and medical systems have not only failed the normal people of the United States, but also the disabled,” she said. “Unfortunately, the disabled are disproportionately affected.”
Another member of the Reno community, who asked to remain anonymous, echoed similar frustrations. A stroke survivor with mild aphasia, he described how system delays left him without his power wheelchair and no viable replacement. When asked if he would speak at a future legislative session, he said yes—if he could get transportation to Carson City.
For Connor, passing the bill was just the beginning. His story is a testament to resilience, persistence and the belief that systemic change is possible when someone speaks up.
“Just because we’re disabled doesn’t mean we can’t make it a better place,” Connor said.
Amy Beth Auerbach is a longtime Reno/Sparks resident who first met Connor Fogal in November 2019 at a University of Nevada, Reno, disability resource fair.