For handicapped individuals, mobility outside the home is often an important concern.  While you can purchase scooters, wheelchairs and motorized wheelchairs for mobility within your residence, around your property and for use within your community, travel for longer distances can be more difficult.  A wheelchair accessible van can resolve this concern immediately.  However, where do you buy a wheelchair accessible van?  Actually, your local wheelchair van dealer is the single best place to start your search for your new or used handicap accessible vehicle.

Wheelchair Van Dealers vs. Regular Auto Dealers

Why should you buy your handicap accessible vehicle from wheelchair van dealers rather than buying from somewhere else?  Couldn’t you simply visit a regular car dealership and consult with them about buying a wheelchair accessible van?  Most regular auto dealers have some sort of program designed for the handicapped.  However, you will discover that these programs are very rarely offer the best solutions to fill your mobility needs.  In most cases, it will actually take a longer time to buy a wheelchair accessible van through a regular auto dealership than through a specialized wheelchair van dealer.  Why? It’s mostly because regular car dealers lack a full understanding of handicap accessible vehicles.

What Makes Wheelchair Van Dealerships The Place To Buy?

Wheelchair van dealers are specialists in handicap accessible vans.  They usually carry the best industry mobility equipment for installation within the van.  Consider the importance of your wheelchair ramp or your scooter lift – you will expect that equipment to continue to perform for years to come.  A wheelchair van dealer can make sure that you have the best mobility equipment for the job.  Furthermore, the wheelchair van dealer will make sure that only the highest quality mobility equipment is installed during the van conversion – particularly if the dealer participates in the National Mobility Equipment Dealer’s Association (NMEDA) Quality Assurance Program (QAP).

Custom Solutions for Special Handicap Needs

However, perhaps the most important reason to buy a wheelchair accessible van from a wheelchair van dealer is the fact that they will actually offer a thorough analysis of your special handicap needs as a handicapped person.  Not all handicapped people have the same mobility needs.  For example, do you need a wheelchair ramp or would a lift be the better choice?  Do you plan to drive the vehicle yourself?  If so, then you will need different adaptive equipment such as handicap driving aids than someone who will be driven around by someone else.  A wheelchair van dealer gives you the level of service and custom designed solutions that you need to get the best wheelchair van to suit your handicap needs.

Larger & Better Selection of Wheelchair Vans

At last, when you choose to buy a wheelchair accessible van from a local wheelchair van dealer, you will be provided with the largest selection of conversion vehicles from which to choose. Most wheelchair van dealers carry a selection of full-sized vans and minivans, in addition to other mobility aids to help you get around.  If you go to a regular car dealership, you will a very limited selection of handicap accessible vehicles to choose from.  However, with a wheelchair van dealer, you can select from wheelchair vans from numerous auto manufacturers and find the make and model that suits your life and fills your handicap needs perfectly.  This ensures that you are able to travel with ease and regain your mobility and independence.

We have certainly come a long way when it comes to empowering mobility-challenged people, which includes the wheel-chair bound, paraplegics and the elderly. Indeed, modern technology has provided new ways in which the physically handicapped can lead lives less encumbered by their limitations. And in the case of handicap-accessible vehicles, there have been some significant improvements in the last decade.

Through the years, we have seen numerous types of handicap vans, which are also called wheelchair vans or wheelchair conversion vans. They usually come with all kinds of modifications, depending on the user’s specific needs.

Handicap vans can be generally classified into three types. The first type is what we call the Up Front type. This allows the disabled person to occupy the vehicle’s front seat, just beside the driver. The second is the Rear Access type. As its name implies, this kind of vehicle allows the disabled person to occupy the back or rear end of the vehicle. Cars of this type usually feature a bigger space in the rear area to allow easy entry and exit.

The third is the Independent or Drive From type, which is specially designed to allow the handicapped to drive the vehicle themselves. Naturally, since it is designed to give more freedom, this kind usually features more elaborate customizations. For instance, some models feature wheelchair lift capabilities. A few even have easy-to-use permanent (or portable) hand controls. Traditional foot controls may be replaced with specialized switch systems or joysticks. Popular auto manufacturers like Chrysler, Ford, Honda and Toyota have already introduced handicap-accessible vans in selected markets.

For those whose preferences are not limited to handicap vans, they can choose another car model and have it converted. There are plenty of vehicle-conversion shops that are widely available in the US and in the UK. These shops can convert pick-up trucks, SUVs and other multi-purpose vehicles. Depending on the extent of the conversion, it may take a month or a few weeks. It is always best to discuss the specific needs with the conversion shop in order to get maximum results.

Another option is to rent. One can find many organizations in the US and Europe that offer handicapped-friendly vehicles that can be leased for a specific duration of time. Some of these organizations even offer repair services, reconditioning and maintenance for these kinds of vehicles.

Of course, with all these diverse choices of vehicles for the mobility-challenged, the key is to choose which car works best for the handicapped person. Naturally, costs should be considered before buying one as well as the cost of maintenance for that vehicle. But the most important factors are the ones that directly involve the experience of the disabled. How easy is it to operate the car? Does it provide comfort? Is it safe? How user-friendly is the car? Ease of entry and exit should be considered. With wheelchair users, space is essential. And depending on the climate, ventilation systems must be properly in place, too. Chairs should be structurally secure while other fixtures and accessories mustn’t hinder the person’s movement.

And lastly, it’d be nice if the car looks good, too. Besides, what good is a ride if you can’t show it around town?