What Financial Help Is Available For Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle Conversions?

Anyone who has purchased vehicle conversions that alter their vans so that wheelchairs can be transported will know that this sort of equipment does not come cheap. In many circumstances, families are forced to go without adequate transportation simply because they cannot afford the conversions. There are, however, some ways that you might be able to find financial help.

• Manufacturer: One of the first places that you should enquire about grants is with the vehicle manufacturer. They often have some sort of grant program that will reimburse families, but only if the conversion is made in a brand new vehicle.
• Government: The next port of call is the government, who often has grants available at both the state and federal levels. For example, disabled veterans may qualify for a grant, and Worker’s Compensation programs can cover disabilities that are a result of a work accident.
• Private Foundations and Organizations: There are a number of foundations and organizations out there that might be able to provide you with a donation towards a vehicle conversion. Contact the relevant people to find out how they can help.
• Disease/Injury Specific: You could also hunt down organizations that are specific to the type of injury or disease that you or your loved one is suffering from. They often have grants for those affected to give them access to the equipment they need.

As you can see, there are actually a number of ways that you could endeavour to find financial help when it comes to purchasing vehicle conversions. All you need to do is know where to look and be prepared to make all the necessary applications. At the end of the day, ensuring that your family is able to get around is the top priority. 

Vehicle Conversions That Make The Transportation Of 2 Wheelchairs Possible

There are a number of reasons why you may be interested in vans that allow you to transport to wheelchair-bound passengers at the same time – perhaps you work for a taxi company and are looking to update your vehicle, or perhaps there are two members of your family who have mobility issues. For whatever reason, there are a number of vehicle conversions that will make this possible:

• In vehicles where both wheelchair-bound passengers will be travelling in the back, both entry points (the side and rear doors) may be fitted with a ramp or lift to make getting disabled passengers easier. The van may also feature seating for able-bodied passengers in between. 
•  In vans where one wheelchair-bound passenger will be sitting in the front (either driving or as the passenger) and the other will be sitting in the back, the side door may be fitted with a ramp or lift vehicle conversion, allowing each passenger to sit one behind the other. 
•  In vehicles where two wheelchairs can be comfortably accommodated, the floor will need to feature four wheel anti-lock brakes so that the passengers can be locked into place before travel commences. This will prevent the chairs from rolling around during transportation.

As you can see, there are a number of vehicle conversions that can make it possible for two wheelchairs to be transported at the same time. In most cases, deciding on where these passengers will be seated for the duration of travel (either in the front or back seat) will determine what sort of conversions you require to accommodate them comfortably.

Choosing A Van For Your Vehicle Conversion

Ensuring that you make the right choice when selecting a van for a wheelchair vehicle conversion should be the utmost priority of anyone hoping to garner appropriate transport. After all, if you choose the wrong sort of vehicle it is unlikely that your desired conversions will be able to be made, leaving you with a useless van and still with transportation.

When picking a van for a vehicle conversion, before to look for the following factors:

•  Working engine – If you’re going to be pouring a lot of money into the conversion of the van, you don’t want to be forking out extra to get parts of the engine fixed as well.
• Solid body – Seeing as you will be adding overly heavy equipment to the van, such as a wheelchair lift or a ramp, you will want to ensure that the body is solid and will be able to withstand the weight of this equipment. 
• Seating arrangement – In most cases, your conversion will require you to rip out some of the seating to make way for a wheelchair. In some vans, this can be achieved much easier than it can in others. 
• Spare parts – It is often recommended that you steer clear of older vans, simply because there will be less availability of spare parts should it ever break down or experience problems.

By using each of the above tips when choosing a van for your next wheelchair conversion, you will ensure that it will be able to take to the additions like a duck to water. If you are still unsure whether you are making the right choice, contact the company that will be making these additions and ask them for their opinion.

How To Properly And Safely Use A Wheelchair Lift

If you have never used a wheelchair lift before, it is important that you learn how to operate it properly before attempting it fully loaded to ensure the safety of both yourself and your passenger. Whilst it can be beneficial to have a demonstration or two of a lift in action, these instructions should be able to give you a basic idea of what you’re doing:

Step 1: Make sure that the vehicle is parked on level ground and that there is plenty of room for the platform to be opened. Double check that the parking brake is engaged.

Step 2: Open the door to the vehicle and lock it into position so that it doesn’t move. Then, press the button that lowers the wheelchair lift to the ground. Wait until it has come to a complete stop before telling the passenger that it is ok to move onto the platform.

Step 3: Wrap the provided seat-belt around the passenger and make sure that it is tightly fastened. Set the wheelchair locks to make sure that it doesn’t roll whilst in transit. You should also advise the passenger to hold onto the handrails.

Step 4: Press the button that raises the wheelchair lift back into the vehicle. After the platform has risen a few inches, stop it to check that the safety barrier has been locked into place. If it is, press the button to finish raising the platform.

Step 5: Release the wheelchair locks and move the chair into the appropriate position inside the vehicle. Then, fold the lift into its proper travel position and shut the doors to the vehicle.

You are now ready to embark on your travels. If you are ever hesitant about how you have loaded your wheelchair lift, stop what you are doing and ask for assistance. You should never attempt to raise the lift if there is a chance that the passenger may sustain an injury due to improper loading.