Wheelchair Vans & Crash Testing

The mobility industry is an interesting one, for many reasons, but mainly because it’s somewhat elusive.  What I mean is that information is sometimes difficult to gather.   For this post, I will concentrate on crash testing because it is interesting to look at differences between buying a regular vehicle and buying a converted van for wheelchair accessibility.  
When you [...]

Two Wheelchairs in a Wheelchair Accessible Minivan?

Yes, this is possible; getting two wheelchairs in an accessible minivan.   I always recommend however, that you get into many different wheelchair vans and see which will work for you and your family.  Not all side-entry lowered floor minivans are equal.  Each manufacturer and conversion is different, with different dimensions and features that may or [...]

Cash For Clunkers & Wheelchair Vans

I can’t begin to count the number of calls I’ve received over the past couple of weeks from people inquiring about the cash for clunkers government program and wheelchair accessible vans.    The official program title is Car Allowance Rebate System and all the latest information, rules, guidelines, etc. are all available on the Web site, www.cars.gov. 
All of the [...]

Used Wheelchair Vans – Shopping Tips

I get asked this question a lot, “What should I be looking for in a used wheelchair van“? 
First and foremost, do your due diligence, especially when finding that “smoking deal”.  As the adage goes, if it looks to good to be true, it probably is.  With that said, there are many great used wheelchair vans [...]

Anaheim, CA Abilities Expo

I was lucky enough this weekend to attend the Abilities Expo in Anaheim, CA.  I’ve written numerous times about these Expos and wanted to share some stories from this past weekend. 
First of all, the attendence at the show was great.  All day Friday there was a sea of people checking out what the show had [...]

Insurance for Wheelchair Vans

I get this question frequently from customers who are in the market for wheelchair vans,  “How do you get insurance for an accessible van?  I’ve called a bunch of companies and they all tell me that they don’t cover the wheelchair conversion, just the vehicle.  Can you help me out?” 
I’m not surprised to hear the [...]

VMI Launches the New Summit Ramp on the Chrysler/Dodge Minivans

VMI has announced it has begun sales of their Summit fold-out ramp on the 2008-2009 Chrysler/Dodge minivans.  VMI has passed all state and federal requirements for safety and emissions and has been producing the new Summit conversion since April, 2009.  VMI has been modifying the Chrysler/Dodge line of minivans since 1987 and it has been [...]

An Interview with Tara

When I started to think about the article for Exceptional Parent and what I was going to write about, it seemed overwhelming; only because there is so much to write about when we think of Grace.   Luckily, Tara and David do not need yet a wheelchair accessible van yet, so I didn’t want to focus the [...]

How Do You Do It?

This seems like a completely random subject for a post, but part of the beauty of having your own blog is that you can satisfy random thoughts such as this.  Who I am specifically targeting with this question, “How do you do it?” is parents of children with disabilities.   I was approached by my boss this [...]

Paying For Wheelchair Vans in This Economy

During this downturn in the economy, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to get financing, especially for large purchases like a wheelchair van.  I am often asked questions like the one above.  I have some suggestions that may or may not apply to everyone, but something to think about nonetheless.
1.      Shop around for personal [...]