Short Description

Many companies manufacture vans that with modifications are suitable for transporting people in wheelchairs, ie. with wheelchair hoist or ramps, wheelchair restraints, raising the roof and/or door opening heights, alteration of seating arrangements, etc.

More Details

POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING A VAN:
. Side or rear entrance: Most vans can be adapted for rear entry. Fewer vans are adaptable for side wheelchair entry ie Mercedes Vito (roof can be raised), VW Caravelle (need to raise head height), Activan - only van where wheelchair can access front passenger or driver space (for self drive) - floor can be lowered to provide headroom.
. Internal Height:
. Measure the height of the person sitting as upright as possible in their wheelchair from the van floor to the top of their head and add 100 mm for clearance. Australian Standards AS2942-1994 recommend 1500 mm minimum internal head room. Note that electric wheelchair users will often sit higher than manual wheelchair users and therefore may need a higher roof.
. Door Height:
. Measure the height of the person sitting in the wheelchair from the floor to the top of their head when they are bending their head as far forward as possible. Australian Standards AS2942-1994 recommend 1400 mm minimum height of doorways for wheelchair access.
. If the passenger in a wheelchair has limited head movement or is tall it may be necessary to modify the height of the doorway.
. It is important to note the height of the wheelchair hoist when considering a vehicle with a curved or sloping door ie. Toyota Tarago, as the hoist may not fit without additional modification which will contribute to the expense.
. Door Width:
Australian Standards AS2942-1994 recommend 800 mm minimum door width to allow wheelchair access and hoist installation.
. Floor Area:
. To accommodate a wheelchair, tracking system and hoist, the recommended minimum length of the internal floor front to back is 1800 mm, ie. minimum length requirement per wheelchair is 1500 mm, minimum length required by wheelchair hoist is 300 mm. It is important to check that the width of the wheelchair is less than the distance between the wheel arches.
. Number of Wheelchair Passengers:
. You must consider how many other seated passengers you will need to accommodate.
. If you need to carry more than two, you must allow additional room for seats to be fitted in the rear with the wheelchair.
. If you already have a van and it requires a raised roof and/or door height, you should consider the cost of vehicle modifications against the additional cost for a larger vehicle.
. To allow wheelchair occupant a clear view of surroundings, it is
preferable for vehicle windows to extend from at least 1400 mm from the vehicle floor.
. Access to person in the wheelchair:
. Consider the importance of being able to reach the person in the
wheelchair without having to exit the vehicle and enter by the side door.
. Some models have sufficient room between the driver and front passenger seat to move to the rear between the seats.
. Ventilation:
. The person in the wheelchair may not be able to reach or open windows in the rear of the vehicle.
. Air conditioning should therefore be considered with air vents facing the rear.
. The positioning of the vents and direction of airflow should also be
considered.
There are always new vans coming on the market and the above considerations should be applied before purchasing.

Before you buy a new or used vehicle from a dealer or privately, talk to the ILC who have details of companies that can modify the vehicle to ensure that the modifications are compatible with the particular vehicle model.

Standards

When purchasing a wheelchair accessible vehicle or a vehicle to be used with a roof mounted wheelchair hoist consider the vertical clearances of these in relation to the vertical clearances recommended by AS2890.1 (Off street Car Parking), and AS4299 (Adaptable Housing). The recommendations are as follows.
Vertical clearance at the entrance to an off street car park - minimum 2200mm
The height of the vehicle or the height of the vehicle plus the hoist and folded wheelchair on the roof should be less than 2200mm to enter an off-street car park.
Vertical clearance above an accessible car parking space - minimum 2500mm. The vertical height required to unload / load a wheelchair on / off the vehicle roof should be less than 2500mm.