Ensure That Your Handicap Van Offers These Features

Automotive Blog

If you have a family member who has become confined to a wheelchair, one of the changes that you'll need to make is to your family vehicle. A handicap van is the perfect way to transport this person around with ease. If you currently own a van, you can contact an automotive company to inquire about upgrading it to include handicap-friendly functionality; if you don't own a van, you can buy a handicap van that is already outfitted with the necessary features to safely transport your loved one. Beyond the critical feature of the wheelchair lift, here are some other important features to ensure that your van will have.

Optimal Lift Location

On some handicap vans, the lift is mounted so that the user will enter and exit through the side door of the vehicle. On other models, the lift is located at the back of the van. It's important to ensure that your van has its lift in the right location, and there's no universally accepted "right" location for the lift. You need to decide what's right for you by considering your needs. The former option is ideal if you'll be frequently transporting your loved one to a place where you'll pull up alongside the curb, such as a medical clinic with drop-off access, while the latter option is ideal if you'll be parking in tight quarters with cars on each side of you, such as a crowded parking lot.

Folding Rear Seats

You don't need to have all of the rear seats in the van removed, as this can make it difficult to transport other people. For example, if you have one child in a wheelchair and another who needs a standard vehicle seat, you don't want all the rear seats in the van removed. Instead, look for folding rear seats. Many handicap vans offer one or more folding seats that can be folded out of the way to allow the person in the wheelchair to move around, and then put back into position to provide seating for other travelers.

Smooth Floor

The carpeted floor on some vans can be a challenge for someone in a wheelchair to successfully navigate. Instead, make sure that your van has a smooth floor. Handicap vans are often outfitted with a plastic or rubber floor that will allow the person using a wheelchair to roll himself or herself into position. Or, if the driver is helping this person, this task will be easy for the driver.

For more information about these and other important handicap van features, talk to a company like Lone Star Handicap Vans.

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