Category Archives: Ramps and lifts

Ramp and lift controls for wheelchair van and vehicle users in New England, Boston MA

NY Legislature Passes Bill To Alter Accessibility Image

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NY Legislature Passes Bill To Alter Accessibility Image

The traditional image marking wheelchair ramps and accessible parking could soon be replaced under a bill passed by the Legislature this week.

If signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the bill would replace the well-known blue-and-white image of a nondescript person sitting in a wheelchair with one showing the wheelchair in motion.

The legislation would also prohibit the word “handicapped” from being displayed on any accessibility signs, responding to concerns raised by disability rights advocates who say the term is outdated and offensive.

The new rules would only apply to wheelchair-accessible signs that are installed or replaced after the bill takes effect, which would be 120 days after Cuomo signs it. Cuomo has not signaled whether he supports the bill.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. David Carlucci, D-Clarkstown, Rockland County, and Assemblywoman Sandra Galef, D-Ossining, Westchester County.

“The term handicapped is outdated, derogatory and just plain-out offensive,” Carlucci said on the Senate floor. “By working with advocates across the state and throughout the nation, we need to remove barriers and transform our symbol of handicapped disabled into an accessible icon.”

Wheelchair Accessible Home Modifications Can Make Your Life Easier

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Many of us will experience at least a temporary disability. Accidents will happen and you could find yourself using a wheelchair or walker. As we mature and grow older, getting around our home becomes more difficult. Then we ask “How can I get up those steps or through that narrow door?” Planning for this comes from far sighted homeowners, builders and remodelers who anticipate our limitations and changing needs.

Traditional home builders have never really considered the needs of those who are disabled or elderly, and that can make life really hard to deal with at times. We understand these difficulties and we want to help you make your life a little easier and more productive.

Move or Improve?
Most of us would choose to live and retire in our own home rather than move to a nursing home or assisted living center. Your home can be remodeled and modified to accommodate your needs and physical capabilities and conditions. Your house can become more accessible with a few minor home modifications.

Wheelchair accessible house plans:
Older homes were not planned and built for accessibility. It may be impossible to modify your home to be wheelchair and walker friendly. Therefore you may have no choice but to move. Fortunately many of the newer homes are being built “open concept”. What makes a home handicap and wheelchair accessible? It’s the ability to enter the home and move around without any of the obstacles such as steps and narrow doors. There must be one entrance door without steps. The bathrooms, bedrooms and kitchen must be wheelchair accessible. We like a one story open concept home with direct access to the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. The doors need to be at least 32” wide with a straight in approach. If the doors are located in a hallway you need plenty of turning space and 36” door. Everyone’s needs are a little different, so you may have to make a few changes to the plans to suit your individual requirements and physical limitations.

Handicap accessible home modifications:
The demand for accessible housing will increase in future years as the elderly become a larger share of our population. Independent living and the ability to take care of ourselves allows us to remain active and depend less on others. Making your home accessible with simple home modifications, such as swing away hinges, can improve your lifestyle and the ability to live at home.

Handicap Wheelchair Ramps:
Concrete, when installed properly will last many years, requiring no maintenance and can be finished with a rough texture. Wood requires constant maintenance and lasts only a few years when exposed to outdoor elements. Wood can be a real hazard, it’s slippery when wet. Although slip resistance can be improved by painting the surface with a sand additive or applying those stick on grit strips, neither method will last long, requiring repeated applications. Outdoor carpet has been used, but we find that it traps moisture and promotes rot, even when using treated wood.

Accessible Doors:
In order to accommodate a wheelchair, (a standard wheelchair is 24-27″ wide), doorways should be a minimum of 32″ wide. If the doorway is located in the typical hallway and requires turning a wheelchair, you’ll need a 36″ door. It can be difficult to open a swinging door without a clear floor space (18-24″) on the pull side of the door. An alternative could be the installation of an automatic door opener, but they are very expensive. Pocket doors can be an option. Look out for plumbing and electrical lines. If there’s utilities located in the wall you can consider double wall installation.

Swing away offset hinge:
Additional door clearance can be economically obtained by using the swing clear, expandable door, offset door hinges, increasing the width by about 2″, and is often enough to provide the necessary minimum width for a wheelchair or walker to pass through the doorway.

Accessible Kitchens:
An accessible kitchen should provide a minimum 5 foot diameter floor space clearance to allow room for a wheelchair to turn around. It can be difficult for people in wheelchairs to reach over standard 36″ high counter tops, they should be lowered to 30″ providing a minimum knee clearance of 27″ from the floor. Under counter base cabinets can be removed for access to the sink or work area. The sink should be shallow and pipes or sharp objects covered to prevent injury. A single lever faucet should be used. A pull out or drop leaf shelf can be added for a working space. Sliding shelves or baskets can be installed in lower cabinets. A “Lazy Susan” can be added to the pantry. Electric receptacles, garbage disposal and exhaust fan switches can be moved to the front of the counter or cabinet.

Handicap Grab Bars:
Grab bars and safety rails to insure you won’t lose your balance and provide a safe, accessible surrounding. Safety bars provide stability for everyone, including the elderly and those with physical limitations. It’s the most cost effective home modification.

Closets:
Most walk-in closet doors are only 24″ wide. The door can be widened, shelves and rods lowered or adjustable shelving installed. Usually the light switch must be relocated and made accessible to the individuals requirement.

What Type of Wheelchair Vehicle is Best For you?

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Deciding which type of accessible vehicle to drive or use for transportation is difficult. Almost any type of vehicle can be modified to accommodate accessible transportation, but one stands out as the best wheelchair vehicle for families, businesses, or public transportation.

Wheelchair Minivans
Wheelchair minivans come out on top as the best wheelchair vehicle all around. They offer affordable pricing, lots of interior space, great gas mileage, quick access, and top safety ratings. Buyers can choose from side and rear entry wheelchair vans with a power or manual ramp for easy access in and out of the vehicle. Minivans have a low center of gravity and drive like a car making them very gas efficient and easy to drive. Some minivans also negate the need for an expensive kneeling system by extending the ramp 4 inches. This saves the customer thousands of dollars versus other national brands.

WheelchairFull Size Vans
Most full size conversion vans use a lift rather than a ramp. Lift systems are significantly more expensive than ramps in addition to the vehicle itself being more expensive than a minivan. Full size vans are built on a truck chassis making driving and maneuverability extremely challenging. Full size vans have either captain’s chair seating or bench seating that forces the buyer to choose less passenger seating or benches that a caregiver would have to crawl over to get to a passenger. Full size vans have very low gas mileage and a high center of gravity making it less stable than a minivan. Most full size vans carry the additional expense of needing the back doors widened to accommodate a lift or ramp and possibly the roof raised. Using a ramp is possible with full sized vans, however a kneeling system is required adding thousands to your accessible conversion.

Wheelchair Accessible SUVs
SUVs are stylish, popular, and often coming standard with four wheel drive for off road driving. While this feature is nice in the occasional snow storm, the low gas mileage, expensive maintenance, higher insurance rates, and unstable high center of gravity doesn’t really make it worth the trade. Making an SUV accessible is extremely costly by adding transfer seats, kneeling systems and expensive unreliable hitch mounted lifts. While SUVs are as big or bigger than a minivan, most of the cargo space is taken up by bench seating for passengers. Once you transfer a user out of the chair and onto the seat and store the wheelchair in the relatively small space in the back for cargo, your storage space is cut in half.

Wheelchair Accessible Cars
While cars are typically good on gas, easy to drive, and stylish, using one as accessible transportation can be difficult. Since they are so low to the ground, transferring out of the wheelchair and into the car can put not only the wheelchair user at risk, but the person assisting at risk for injury. Using a car requires the use of a foldable wheelchair, a portable wheelchair that does not necessarily offer the same customized comfort amenities as the user’s wheelchair he/she uses all the time. Once a portable wheelchair is placed in the trunk, it becomes basically useless with all the space taken up from the chair.

Wheelchair Accessible Motorcycles
Motorcycles are fun, environmentally friendly vehicles that can be customized to a wheelchair user. Wheelchair users can purchase add on packages to either drive from their chair, slide from their chair onto a common motorcycle seat that is stored inside a lift attached to the back of the bike, or ride in their chair shotgun via a side car. While an exhilarating hobby, most area climates are not conducive to year round motorcycle use since you and your chair are exposed to the elements. Motorcycle accidents are among the most horrific on the road since they are not surrounded by a metal frame, and they are less visible to other drivers. Using a motorcycle for your primary accessible transportation only allows the wheelchair user and possibly one other rider to use it at the same time so the versatility of the vehicle is rather limited.

Pick Up Trucks
Pick up trucks have the same unstable high center of gravity and low gas mileage as SUVs. An expensive transfer chair or robotic system is required to transfer in and out of the cab of the truck. Even with the purchase of high dollar king or extended cab trucks, the wheelchair has to be transported in the bed of the truck which is exposed to the elements critically reducing the life of your chair.

Finding the best wheelchair accessible vehicle for yourself, your family, or your business can be a daunting task, but you are on the right path towards making the right decision and enjoying the mobility freedom you deserve.

NEMEDA’S Local Heroes Announced

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VMI was proud to team with the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) and sponsor the 2014 Local Heroes Contest by donating their Toyota Northstar conversion. The contest has just ended and four lucky winners (with the help of their respective communities) each won a new wheelchair accessible van.

Courtney Boyll – a 3rd grade teacher from Moulton, Alabama – was the recipient of the VMI Toyota Northstar conversion van. She embodies the VMI spirit of ‘”Imagine Possibilities”.

“Do not give up on your dream of mobility freedom,” she said, “Keep believing. Because when you believe good things, all things are possible.”

Watch Courtney’s inspirational submission video here: http://bit.ly/CourtneysStory