Wheelchair Vans

When one grows up in a wheelchair as a young child, they are all too familiar with the use of a wheelchair van. The family has probably already bought a van to better equip themselves for life with a child in a wheelchair. The wheelchair van would either have a ramp or lift to help assist in maneuvering the wheelchair into the vehicle.

As this child grows or if an individual has just had an accident resulting in their need to a wheelchair accessible vehicle, they will be faced with the decision to purchase a wheelchair van or to purchase a standard vehicle equipped with wheelchair vehicle controls.

Whether you use an electric wheelchair or manual wheelchair, the answer comes down to mobility. If you are that have some mobility and general upper body strength and would prefer to seat yourself in a standard size automobile, you will probably require a hitch style mount and platform to hold your wheelchair, or as my friend does... just chuck the wheelchair in the back seat. If you are low on strength and have zero lower body mobility, you will need a wheelchair van that allows you to drive your wheelchair right up to the front seat.

Wheelchair vans have two entry points and both have advantages and disadvantages to consider. The two main entry points are the back door or the side door.

The advantage of the back door entry is that you can drive your wheelchair in a straight line right up the middle of the seats and up to the front seat. With the rear entry, a ramp or lift would be used to elevate you to the proper height of the van. The disadvantage to the rear entry is that your vehicle becomes longer by the length of the ramp or lift length when extended. This can place you in the middle of the street when entering your vehicle from the rear if in a parking lot. This would also cause a great challenge if you ever needed to parallel park your vehicle. Another great advantage to the rear entry is that you can use a standard parking spot size. This can be helpful if you shop or frequent a facility that does not have handicap parking on site.

The advantage of the side door entry is that you do not extend out the back of vehicle. This can be a safety benefit as you are not placed in the flow of traffic when in a parking lot. Also, you are closer to the front seat when entering the vehicle requiring less room to travel. The side entry will use either a ramp or lift to move the individual inside the vehicle. The disadvantage of the side entry is that you can not use a standard size parking space unless the space next to the wheelchair van is empty. Keep you fingers crossed no one parks in that spot.

Both methods can work very well, but the style of van and the size of your wheelchair can make a huge difference in the type of wheelchair van ramp you select. Before shopping for a wheelchair van, first determine the type of locations you visit often and decide if side entry or rear entry is most optimal for your situation. Also consider the type of lifting mechanism, be it a wheelchair ramp or wheelchair lift.

A wheelchair van can be an important addition to any family with a wheelchair bound individual.