Information provided by Cherie C. Binns RN BS MSCN
Source : MS Foundation – By: Teresa Campbell
In the forty-plus years that I have had MS, I have purchased multiple mobility devices, including a cane, walker, manual wheelchair, and three-wheeled scooter. When visiting San Francisco, I often used public transportation and my scooter. Other times, a friend would push me in my manual wheelchair. More recently, I was planning a trip to Yosemite National Park. I assumed I would take my manual wheelchair and my friend, Sue, would push me. Unfortunately, Sue had developed tendonitis and pushing my chair was painful. It was time to find another way to transport my scooter so I could go where I wanted to go independently.
My knowledge of accessible vans was limited to my experiences with San Francisco’s Ramp Taxi Service, which is part of the city’s Paratransit Program. Their wheelchair accessible minivan has a lowered floor and rear entry. It’s provided by Liberty Motor Company, Inc., which provides vehicles to more than 60% of North American taxicab and paratransit companies, and is the only company that offers a lifetime conversion warranty. (This means that Liberty will repair, or have repaired, any aspect of the conversion that proves to be defective in material or workmanship for as long as the buyer owns the vehicle – at no cost.)
When the driver backed up to my door, entering the van was easy. I relaxed as he secured my scooter, pulled up the manual lift, and closed the rear door. Besides the driver, the van could carry up to five passengers. If I purchased my own van, I wouldn’t be able to operate a manual door or ramp independently. I also decided that rear entry, which required space for the driver to open the door and drive the scooter out, was less convenient than side entry.
SIZING UP ACCESSIBLE VANS
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