Designing Your Mobility Vehicle
The Basics and Beyond
Where do you start in designing the perfect mobility vehicle? As with any vehicle-accessorization project, that depends on what's required. The key here is to formulate a plan. If you're looking to aid in the entrance and exit of a person with a disability, parts like ramps and lifts need to be reviewed. If that person is to drive the vehicle, more research is needed to encompass such modifications as "dropped" floors, hand controls, and floor-locking wheelchair mechanisms. Remote controls are handy for people with disabilities as well as for those who might be assisting them. Automatic doors are helpful, and so are locking systems to safely attach wheelchairs to the vehicle floor.
The Vehicle
Because they offer large sliding doors for the entrance of wheelchairs and scooters, minivans are the most commonly modified mobility vehicles. They also ease passenger transition from the middle of the vehicle to front-seating locations for those looking to drive or just ride in front. The good news is that an accessible van no longer has to be huge or clinical looking (like the full-size ambulance-style van used in the television show "Ironside"). Minivans can be ordered with aerodynamic exterior cladding and racing stripes that help people express their individuality. While minivans are the predominant platform, cars and trucks also can be modified with mobility components. Ramps aren't possible in most cases, though hoists that place a wheelchair or scooter in the trunk, behind the front seats, or in the bed are common. Regardless of whether you are altering an existing vehicle or buying a new one, try out mobility-accessorized vehicles at a local dealership or mobility-installation facility. Only by experiencing these products can you determine exactly what you need-and what you can afford.
Starting Your Checklist
First, determine whether you need to enhance your current vehicle or purchase a new one. Recommended "upfitters," as they are called, can be found through local new vehicle dealerships. In addition, mobility manufacturers such as Braun, Bruno, EZ Lock, and Eldorado National have Web sites that can help locate an upfitter in your area.
Here are some of the most common products you can buy depending on your specific needs.
Wheelchair Ramps
Ramps, the most visible and most expensive product, are commonly added to mini- and full-size vans. Ramps can be manual or automatic and often fit below vehicle flooring. Most ramps are placed outside the passenger-side sliding door. Toyota offers the side-door option and a Braun-designed rear-entry ramp that's becoming popular. Automatic ramps can be triggered by a door-mounted switch or remote-control system. The same remote can open the side door and lower the ramp angle by kneeling the suspension (like systems on city-operated metro buses where the suspension is compressed to lower the overall height of the vehicle).
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