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| Image designed by author. Posted on Flickr. |
Believe it or not, there are automobiles for people who use wheelchairs. Please read more.
Prologue
Imagine being a wheelchair user and you're in the market for an automobile. You cannot go to a dealership and lease or purchase any vehicle you want. Instead, the options are limited to vans and minivans that have a wheelchair lift. The reader will learn about adaptive driving, what to consider when you go adaptive car shopping, and some of the vehicle's most important features.
Please read the "Disclaimer" section at the bottom of this post.
Not Every Adaptive Vehicle is Equal
Of course, not every disability affects a person equally. In a 2019 post to this blog, I explain why wheelchairs are not created equal. The same can be said about adaptive automobiles. Just as not every person with a disability requires a wheelchair, the same goes for their automobiles. The next paragraph explains how people with disabilities might operate their automobiles.
Obviously, people who use wheelchairs have different ways to drive their vehicles. According to a YouTube video from the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), adaptive driving is a multi-step process. For starters, Mary Allison mentions that you should "[learn] what type of adaptations you may need." She also reports that a first-time adaptive driver, as well as anyone who does not know "what type of accommodations" might be required, should consult "a physical or occupational therapist, or a certified driver rehabilitation specialist." In the subsection entitled "Assessment" (see below), the reader will be familiarized with what a prospective driver with a disability might go through in a clinical evaluation room.
Assessment
As mentioned above, a person with a disability should expect to receive a clinical evaluation. BraunAbility defines "[a] disabled driving test" as "a set of assessments that examine your physical and cognitive abilities to safely operate a motor vehicle independently." According to a YouTube video from New Zealand's Attitude, this assessment will begin with "an interview." At this point, the evaluator then explains "what to expect" during the "appointment" (Beining). Although the video linked in the previous sentence targets occupational therapy students, it does provide you with an idea of what the assessment might be like. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mentions that the clinical assessment will involve "vision screening" and a battery of tests, which are mentioned throughout this paragraph. The aforementioned Attitude video also includes an evaluation of "range of movement, mobility, and muscle strength." NHTSA also mentions that an evaluator will test the client's "flexibility, [c]oordination, reaction time, [j]udgment, [and] decision-making abilit[y]" as well. Finally, the evaluation wraps up with an assessment of the client's "[a]bility to drive with adaptive equipment." According to NHTSA, the client will be issued a document that includes a multitude of suggestions that concern "driving requirements or restrictions." Speaking of equipment, the next subsection introduces the reader to some of the paraphernalia required for driving with disabilities.
Adaptive Equipment
Obviously, people with disabilities generally use adaptive features when they are in the driver's seat. The informative packet mentioned in the "Assessment" subsection (see above) should even include "a complete list of any recommended vehicle requirements or modifications," as NHTSA writes. A person with a disability might use what NCHPAD's Mary Allison calls "adaptations" such as "hand controls." BraunAbility has an online article about another type of adaptive driving equipment: the "spinner knob," which goes on the steering wheel. Now that you've read about the basics of adaptive driving, you'll learn about adaptive driving in auto racing.
Auto Racing
Believe it or not, people with disabilities might be able to participate in auto racing. In a blog post I published in 2019, I explain the various license types that are issued by both the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and its National Sporting Authorities (ASN). The January 2019 blog post mentioned earlier in this paragraph also enumerates what organization represents the United States in FIA-sanctioned affairs. Chapter 1 (see "Note" below), Article 18 of Appendix L to the FIA's International Sporting Code (ISC) covers the subject of driver's licenses for race car drivers with disabilities. In the cockpit of a race car, the driver might use some of the exact same adaptive equipment as a road car (refer to the subsection "Adaptive Equipment").
Note: The alphanumerical version of the number 1 is used to denote chapters even though the ISC uses Roman numerals for that purpose.
In the section entitled "Adaptive Motor Vehicles" (see below), the reader will learn about the foremost component of adaptive vehicles: the automobile itself.
Overview of Adaptive Motor Vehicles
A blog post about adaptive automobiles would not be complete without the vehicle itself. Allison mentions that "[f]inding the right vehicle" is very similar to "finding the right wheelchair." Allison adds that, for people who use a wheelchair, figuring out "how you will get yourself and your chair into your vehicle" should be an essential consideration. Depending on the degree of your disability (and type of wheelchair), you might use a wheelchair lift/ramp (see Figure 1), "mechanical seat," or transfer into or out of the vehicle "without an assistive device." If you actually sit in the wheelchair while driving, BraunAbility writes that "[a] wheelchair van" is the best option because it "has more space on the inside." The aforementioned NCHPAD-produced YouTube video also includes a series of methods by which a person who uses a wheelchair can insert both themselves and the wheelchair into the automobile. The subsection entitled "Adaptive Vehicle Features 101" (see below) enumerates a series of important fixtures regarding automobiles for people who use wheelchair.
Adaptive Vehicle Features 101
For starters, MobilityWorks reports that "wheelchair securement" is also an important component of the wheelchair vehicle. While BraunAbility mentions that there are several methods of achieving this, the author's minivan includes "tie-down straps" and "seat belts." (Speaking of the seat belt, please remember to use the vehicle's factory-installed one to secure yourself as well.) In a 2021 YouTube video, MobilityWorks demonstrates the use of various "types of restraints" that go with "accessible vehicles." The video also mentions that these protective features will "safely lock down a wheelchair to the floor of the vehicle."
Figure 1
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| Wheelchair ramp. Photo taken by author. Posted on Flickr. |
Next, here's some information about wheelchair ramps and lifts. According to MobilityWorks, there are two different types of wheelchair vehicles: "side" and "rear entry." Both types have their own set of advantages. The ramp depicted in Figure 1 (see above) is an example of side entry. MobilityWorks also writes that "side entry conversions are ... popular," which means the prospective customer has a multitude of options from which to select. Wheelchair vehicles usually have a sticker along the lines of that included in Figure 2 (see below). A 2016 YouTube video from New Zealand's Attitude depicts the rear entry type. MobilityWorks states that one benefit of having the lift or ramp in the rear is less difficulty with access and egress. Whichever mode of entry is used, BraunAbility writes that "the wheelchair [and its user]" should be able to "enter and exit" the vehicle without difficulty.
Figure 2
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| Sticker from MobilityWorks. Photo taken by author. |
Epilogue
See Also
- "Adaptive Vehicles" page from NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
- BraunAbility
- "Disabled Motoring" site from the FIA and the International Transport Forum (ITF)
- MobilityWorks
Bibliography
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Accessed 16 July 2022.
U.S. Department of Transportation, 2022,
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National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), 04 Mar. 2015,
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"Driving Rehabilitation Clinical Evaluation." YouTube, uploaded by April H. Beining,
1 Oct. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW4RZR-VaFA.
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Appendix L to the International Sporting Code.
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Accessed 16 July 2022.
Morton, Gregory. "The One-Sized Wheelchair." Common Misconceptions of Disability,
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Accessed 18 June 2022.
Shivas, Olivia. "Driving with a Disability. YouTube, uploaded by Attitude,
01 Aug. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtjlzEde7h0.
"Side Entry vs. Rear Entry Wheelchair Vehicles." MobilityWorks, 27 Sept. 2021,
www.mobilityworks.com/blog/side-entry-vs-rear-entry-wheelchair-vehicles/.
Accessed 12 July 2022.
"What Is a Steering Wheel Spinner Knob?" BraunAbility, no date,
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Accessed 16 July 2022.
"What is the Disabled Driving Test?". BraunAbility, no date,
www.braunability.com/us/en/blog/disability-rights/what-is-the-disabled-driving-test.html.
Accessed 24 July 2022.
"Wheelchair Securement Systems - MobilityWorks." YouTube, uploaded by MobilityWorks,
18 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrl8MEiqk5A.
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