How to Select the Best Handicap Vehicle?

Finding a standard vehicle that meets your needs is a time-consuming task—it can be even more time-consuming to find a handicap vehicle. However, by following these simple steps, you can pick the right handicap vehicle for your needs.

1. Determine what type of handicap or handicaps your ideal vehicle must support. For instance, does it need to be wheelchair accessible? Or does it need to be low enough to the ground for someone with mobility issues to climb in? The vehicle you need may have several of these requirements, so keep them all written down.

2. After figuring out what handicaps the vehicle must service, it’s time to calculate how many people the vehicle must fit. Include the number of people with each handicap as well as the amount of people who will need standard seats in the vehicle.

3. Make sure your number is accurate—take into account the changing needs of the people the van will be helping. If you’re looking for a family vehicle, the number you figured out will probably be fine. However, if the vehicle will be used for a business, a group home, or a rehabilitation center, it is very probable that your clients’ needs will change over time. If that’s the case, you may want to think about how your business plans will change over an extended period of time and how to best meet those needs.

4. Once you have your list of requirements, including handicaps and amount of people, it’s time to start looking for the perfect vehicle. Whether it is for a family member, yourself, or a business, the people who will be using the vehicle probably have social workers assigned to them. The social worker can help direct you to a good place for finding a vehicle—they may even know of local businesses that deal solely in handicap vehicles.

5. Before you buy any handicap vehicle, have it thoroughly checked out by a qualified mechanic. The parts in handicap vehicles are more numerous and costly than in a regular vehicle, so you need to ensure that everything is in working order before you sign the papers and drive your new vehicle away.