subject: How Wheelchair Vans Make Life Easier [print this page] Looking at wheelchair vans for you or a loved one can be a long process. It's difficult to decide which type of van to get, and it can be even more difficult to shell out the cash for one of these expensive vehicles. Before you decide to keep working with the vehicle you already have, though, or to simply do without, think about how a van specifically for a wheelchair can make life simpler. Here are just a few ways that this type of vehicle can make your life simpler.
For one thing, wheelchair vans can be made to suit the exact needs of a particular handicapped person. There are so many options available that you can easily tailor your van to the needs you most need to meet. You can get side loading or rear loading ramps and lifts. Some are automatic and some are manual. Some vans can even be outfitted with automobile hand controls as well as transfer seats so that a handicapped person can easily get from a wheelchair in the back to the driver's seat in front in order to take charge of the vehicle.
Of course, this type of vehicle simply makes the entire process of getting a wheelchair bound person or even someone who uses a scooter from one area to another. Instead of having to have a strong person physically lift the handicapped person into a seat and then fold up the wheelchair, the process is much easier. With true wheelchair vans, you can simply go up the ramp and strap the wheelchair in. The handicapped person can stay in the wheelchair and be restrained by special safety restraints. You don't need any strong people to lift and carry, and you don't have to worry about folding or unfolding the wheelchair on the trip.
Wheelchair vans are also large enough that there's room for both a wheelchair and other cargo. If you've tried to take a wheelchair bound person from place to place even in a large car, you know it's difficult. Once the wheelchair is folded up and slid into the trunk, it's next to impossible to get anything else in the car. With a van, though, you can actually store the wheelchair with the handicapped person in it and still have plenty of room for groceries, goods, or even other passengers. In these ways, these types of vans make life easier for all concerned.
