When purchasing a handicap van, it is important to consider all of the options for wheelchair lifts and ramps so you will know the best option for yourself or your loved one. A wheelchair is a great way to give your loved one the mobility that he or she craves, but it needs to be complimented with a way to move about outside of the house. Whether your loved one enjoys the natural scenery of a nearby park or a trip to the mall to pick out clothes or home items, a handicap van can add a lot of activities to life.
With any handicap van, there are two main ways that the van can be accessed. One is with a ramp and the other is a lift. Wheelchair lifts are the most comfortable and convenient option for the occupant since they do not require the person to get out of the wheelchair while transitioning into the car. A wheelchair lift is designed to raise or lower a wheelchair into a van or other mode of transportation so that the occupant can move easily from one place to another.
A wheelchair lift is available in electric or hydraulic form. The electric form is usually less expensive and powered by electricity so it may be subject to power failures if a blackout occurs or it does not have sufficient battery charge.
It is important when selecting between different wheelchair lifts to look at a few different factors.
The most important consideration when comparing different brands and styles is the safety of the equipment. There should be a number of different safety features including an emergency stop button and sturdy straps to hold the chair in place during travel. Some models are equipped with obstruction sensors that can sense if something is in the way while the machine is in motion, and other models are created with alarms that sound if certain situations arise.
The next consideration is how easy the device is to operate.
The occupant of the wheelchair should be able to completely control the settings and essentially get in the car with no outside help. This is one of the many added benefits to wheelchair lifts. They allow the person to have the most freedom while entering and exiting the car. Some models of minivans are equipped with wheelchair lifts, and some of these are the easiest to use and the least expensive.