Wheelchair accessible van
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Wheelchair accessible vans encompass a range of vehicles that have been modified to allow access by individuals who are in wheelchairs. The typical modifications performed are lowering the floor and adding a ramp so the chair can be rolled into the van or adding a powered lift that picks the chair up from ground level to the same level as the floor of the van.
The general steps manufacturers undergo to convert a van differ greatly from one manufacturer to another. Most conversions involve the following:
- The floor is generally removed
- Front seating is modified to allow access from wheelchair
- Means of external access added. This is most often a ramp, lift, or turning seat
- Suspension stiffened to allow extra weight of power chairs / additional weight from conversion
- Gas tanks may be modified or replaced with custom models
- Vehicle is tested to ensure full operation
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[edit] Ramp
Ramp based modifications most commonly performed on minivans (citation needed). In order to provide usable headroom, the floor on the vehicle is lowered. In rear-entry configuration, floor is not lowered, but rather removed, and a composite or steel tub inserted.
- Folding Ramps (Both motorized and manual)
- Sliding Ramps hidden in floor
- Rear-entry with folding ramp.
Vehicles known to have ramp-based conversions:
- Dodge Grand Caravan
- Chrysler Town & Country
- Honda Odyssey
- Toyota Sienna
- Chevrolet Venture
- Ford Freestar
- Honda Element
- Volkswagen Routan
Questions to ask when considering the purchase of an accessible minivnan:
- Will the necessary conversion equipment require a van and wheel chair access can the vehicle accommodate the equipment that needs to be installed?
- Will there be enough space to accommodate other passengers once the vehicle is modified and will the handling be simple enough to cope with in traffic situations?
- Is there enough parking spaces at home and at work for a wheelchair accessible ramp for entering and exiting the van with a wheel chair?
- Is there adequate parking space if you use a walker or other prosthetic equipment?
- What additional options are necessary for the safe operation of the vehicle?
- What are the costs for conversion for wheelchair access vans?
[edit] Platform lifts
Full size vans require that lifts in the form of a platform that can be raised and lowered from inside the vehicle down to the ground outside.
[edit] Other Types
Crane type lifts are combined with seats that turn and lower to the ground as a means of providing wheelchair access to some types of vehicles.
Rear-entry conversions provide easy ingress and egress for attended applications. They are different from side-entry conversions in that the wheelchair occupant is not driving vehicle, but rather is riding as a passenger. The conversion is very simple and does not carry the complicated engineering and electronics typically found in a side-entry conversion. As a result, they are very well suited for commercial and heavy-cycle applications (i.e.-taxi, non-emergency ambulance, paratransit, assisted living, and dial-a-ride) and geographic areas prone to vehicle corrosion from salt and chloride usage on highways in winter seasons.
