What the Founders Meant by Freedom: Independence this President's Day

Walter served in Korea. He marched in two inaugural parades. He voted in every election since 1956, never missing one, including three where he had to leave hospital to cast his ballot.

At 89, he hadn't been to the Lincoln Memorial in six years. The walk from the parking area had become impossible. The standing, the stairs, the distances between monuments. His body simply couldn't manage it anymore. So he stopped going.

His granddaughter found this unacceptable.

"Grandpa, you literally fought for this country," she told him. "You're not going to see the monuments because of a parking lot?"

She researched mobility options for weeks. Most scooters looked like medical equipment, something Walter, with his veteran's pride, would never accept. Then she found the ATTO.

"It looked like something an astronaut would ride," Walter says. "Not like something from a hospital supply catalog."

Last Presidents Day weekend, Walter rolled up to the Lincoln Memorial for the first time in years. He sat at the base, looked up at the man who preserved the union, and cried. Not from sadness. From being there.

"Freedom means being able to go where you want to go," he says. "The guys I served with, they didn't fight so I could sit home watching the History Channel. They fought so I could be here. At the monuments. Living in the country we built."

The Freedom We Celebrate

Presidents Day honors the leaders who shaped American independence. Washington, who refused a crown. Lincoln, who preserved the union. The long line of executives who've carried the weight of a nation built on the radical idea that people should govern themselves.

But freedom in the abstract means nothing. The Declaration speaks of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as lived experiences, not abstract concepts. The founders understood that rights on paper matter only when you can exercise them in practice.

For millions of Americans, physical limitations have quietly eroded that practical freedom. The right to assemble means little if you can't walk to the gathering. The pursuit of happiness rings hollow when the grocery store feels like a marathon. Liberty loses its meaning when your world shrinks to the rooms you can reach without exhaustion.

This isn't the dramatic loss of freedom that makes headlines. It's the gradual, grinding diminishment that happens one declined invitation at a time. One skipped family gathering. One memorial you can no longer visit.

Research from AARP consistently shows that maintaining independence ranks as the top priority for Americans as they age. The ability to come and go freely, to visit family, participate in community life, and engage with the world on your own terms, predicts life satisfaction more reliably than almost any other factor.

Reclaiming Independence

Walter's story isn't about a scooter. It's about refusing to accept a shrinking life. About looking at the gap between where you are and where you want to be, and finding a way to close it.

The ATTO didn't give Walter anything he didn't already have the right to. He always had the right to visit the Lincoln Memorial. He always had the freedom to honor the country he served. What the ATTO gave him was the practical ability to exercise that freedom.

That distinction matters. Mobility support isn't about gaining new rights. It's about reclaiming the ones you've always had. The freedom to move through your own country. The independence to make your own choices about where you go and when. The liberty to participate in the life happening around you.

This is what the founders meant. Not freedom as a word in a document, but freedom as a lived reality. The ability to pursue happiness wherever that pursuit leads you.

The ATTO SPORT was designed for Americans who refuse to let physical limitations define their lives. Its compact fold fits in any car trunk, unfolds in ten seconds, and goes wherever independence takes you, from national monuments to neighborhood cookouts.

The American Approach

Americans have never been good at accepting limitations. It's in the national DNA. When the frontier closed, we went to the moon. When distance separated families, we built highways and airlines. When problems seemed insurmountable, we engineered solutions.

That same spirit applies to mobility. The question isn't whether your body has limitations (every body does, eventually). The question is what you're going to do about it. Accept a smaller life? Or find a tool that lets you keep living the larger one?

Walter chose the tool. And now he visits the monuments whenever he wants. He attends his VFW meetings. He went to his great-granddaughter's soccer game last month, something he'd been skipping for two years because the walk from the parking lot to the field was too much.

"I'm not going to sit home waiting to die," he says bluntly. "I've got places to be. People to see. A country to enjoy. The scooter gets me there. End of story."

The Administration for Community Living provides resources on assistive technology programs across all fifty states. Their mission reflects a core American value: that every citizen deserves the tools to live independently and participate fully in community life.

This Presidents Day

As you mark the holiday, whether with a day off, a mattress sale, or actual reflection on American history, consider what freedom means in your own life. Not the abstract kind. The practical kind.

Are there places you've stopped going? Events you've started skipping? Family gatherings that happen without you now because getting there feels too hard?

Those losses aren't inevitable. They're problems. And Americans solve problems.

Walter will be at the World War II Memorial this Presidents Day. He goes every year now, since his granddaughter gave him back his independence. He sits by the fountains and watches families walk past, kids who've never known a world without the freedoms he fought to protect.

"They don't know what it cost," he says. "But that's okay. That's the point. They get to live free without thinking about it. That's what we wanted for them."

He pauses. "And I get to be here to see it. That's what I wanted for me."

Ready to reclaim your independence? Visit one of our showroom locations across the country for a free, no-obligation demonstration. Or call to arrange a home visit. We'll bring the freedom to you.

Freedom isn't just a word in old documents. It's the ability to go where you want, when you want, on your own terms. This Presidents Day, we honor the leaders who built a nation on that principle, and the Americans who refuse to let anything stop them from living it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take an ATTO to national monuments and memorials?

Yes. The ATTO is welcome at all National Park Service sites, including monuments and memorials. Its compact size navigates crowded spaces easily, and the wheels handle the varied surfaces found at outdoor memorial sites. Many monuments also have accessible routes that work perfectly with mobility scooters.

How does the ATTO handle outdoor terrain like the National Mall?

The ATTO's wheels and suspension handle grass, gravel paths, and uneven pavement common at outdoor sites. The ATTO SPORT and SPORT MAX offer enhanced performance for more challenging terrain. Most users find they can access far more of these sites than they could on foot.

Is the ATTO easy to transport for day trips to historic sites?

Extremely. The ATTO folds in about ten seconds and fits in any car trunk. For a day visiting monuments, museums, or historic sites, you simply drive to your destination, unfold at the parking area, and ride directly to the entrance. No advance arrangements needed.

What if I only need mobility support for longer outings?

Many ATTO users walk comfortably for short distances but need support for extended outings like monument visits or museum days. The ATTO's portability makes it perfect for this variable use. Keep it in your trunk and deploy it when the day's activities exceed what your body can handle on foot.

Are there Presidents Day promotions available?

Contact our team or visit a showroom location to learn about current offers. We frequently run seasonal promotions, and our mobility experts can help you find the best solution for your independence needs.