Category Archives: Wheelchair Vans

Wheelchair van and mobility needs for New England – Boston, MA

2014 Star Spangled Salute Winner Announced

Congratulations to the winner of the 2014 Star Spangled Salute – Susan Kirsch of Washington!
We thank you for your service!

2014 Star Spangled Salute Winner Announced - Susan Kirsch

Susan Kirsch served in the Air Force and was one of roughly 2,000 disabled veterans who entered the Star Spangled Salute contest. Thanks to VMI and the Toyota Motor Corporation, she will be receiving a 2015 Toyota Northstar Access360 wheelchair van. Susan uses a power wheelchair and has a son that could also benefit from their new accessible van. She’s excited that her new van will simplify their many trips to and from the doctors that are necessary to their care.

The Star Spangled Salute is just one celebration in honor of VMI’s daily dedication to the men and women who have served. From its specialized team of Veteran Advocates and veteran financing, to special partnerships with the VA and beyond. Through reliable products and functional design, VMI’s fleet of mobility vehicles achieves independence and freedom for veterans, independent wheelchair users and their families.

“We are so fortunate to live in the United States and experience the freedoms so many like Susan Kirsch have served for,”  Doug Eaton,VMI’s CEO said. “Veterans Day and our Star Spangled Salute contest are amazing opportunities to honor our deserving veterans, but VMI is committed to empowering these incredible individuals and their loved ones every day of the year.”

“The buzz surrounding this year’s Star Spangled Salute contest has been exciting,” added Mark Oldenburg, Toyota’s National Fleet Marketing, Mobility and Strategic Planning Manager. “We’re honored to show our appreciation for those who’ve bravely served our country in the military with this program. I truly look forward to delivering a new Toyota Sienna with a VMI Northstar conversion to the winning veteran.”

Click here to watch the big announcement!

Tips To Prepare Your Car For Winter

Tips To Prepare Your Car For Winter

Charge it.
Cold weather is tough on batteries. At zero degrees, a car’s battery loses about 60 percent of its strength.

Keeping battery terminal clean.
Having a load test performed by a qualified technician will help determine whether a car’s battery is strong enough for winter starts.

Get a grip.
Before winter arrives, make sure your car is equipped with tires that are able to handle tough winter weather. For most motorists, all-season tires are adequate.

See and be seen.
Danger must be seen to be avoided. Driving with a snow- covered windshield, windows, side-view mirrors or lights invites a crash. Clear windows, mirrors and lights with an ice scrapper, brush or spray de-icer. Make certain windshield wipers and defrosters are in good working order and that washer reservoirs are filled with no freeze windshield washer fluid.

Slippery when wet.
In temperatures at or just above 32 degrees, a thin layer of water can cover the ice, causing extremely slippery conditions. The distance needed to stop on ice at 32 degrees is twice as long as at zero degrees. Beware of “black ice” — ice that remains on roadways that are not in direct sunlight. Use extra caution when driving on bridges; they freeze first, because they are surrounded by cold air.

Keep your engine cool.
Make certain cooling system antifreeze is mixed with an equal portion of water for maximum protection.

Key solution.
Frozen door locks can be overcome by carefully heating the end of a key with a match or a lighter. A squirt of de-icer spray is another quick method.

Air it out.
Don’t let frigid temperatures tempt you into starting your car in a closed garage. Carbon Monoxide from exhaust fumes is almost impossible to detect and can be fatal when breathed in a confined area.

Benefits of Owning an Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

Safety
Safety is a universal concern for people with disAbilities and their caregivers. Many caregivers experience chronic back and joint pain from years of wheelchair lifts. And far too often there are stories of people fearful of loading and unloading their wheelchairs. Mobility vehicles are designed with a dedication to safety. Not only do ramp systems remove the liability, wear and tear and exhaustion of a lift, but brands like VMI adhere to the safety standards and qualifications of original equipment manufacturers like Honda, Toyota, Chrysler and Dodge.

A vehicle conversion from a company like VMI must maintain and provide the same safety ratings, post-conversion, as it did when the original model was created. That means collision safety and design is held to a very high standard. So there’s simply no reason to risk your personal safety or the livelihood of your passengers in an outdated vehicle.

Independence
If the daunting process of wheelchair lifts and transports kept you from leaving home in the past or the frustration of coordinating shuttles and third party transportation limits your lifestyle, look no further.

Mobility vehicles empower opportunity and independence. Frankly, when transportation is a possibility  rather than a limitation, the world gets a whole lot larger. Independent wheelchair users with reliable mobility vehicles hold the power to call the shots on their own life. They can drive where they need to, how they want to, when they want to. A mobility vehicle isn’t just a mechanism to take you from point A to B; A mobility vehicle is an entryway to possibility.

Increased Space and Flexibility
Most modern mobility vehicles feature side-entry and front door benefits which allow an array of seating arrangements and interior flexibility. With such added space, nearly any wheelchair — even power chairs — can fit in the cabin while still leaving room for the rest of the family.

Vehicles such as VMI’s Toyota Sienna Access360 have been engineered to promote a full range of motion and maneuverability for power chairs inside the vehicle, eliminating the need to hastily rearrange and remove seats for transports. Obstruction-free doorways and head clearance also pave the way for an enjoyable transition to and from the vehicle.

Simplicity and Ease-of-Use
Whether you are a caregiver or an independent wheelchair user, mobility vehicles have practical answers.

Through the addition of manual ramp systems and automated, in-floor ramp technology, transportation doesn’t have to remain a daily hassle.  Life often throws bigger dilemmas our way. Mobility vehicles make sure transportation isn’t one of those.

The Northstar E by VMI is a great example of a vehicle that was engineered with simplicity and ease-of-use at the forefront of its design. Caregivers can easily remove the vehicle’s ramp system without physical strain or contemplation. The process is intuitive and quick. Loading and unloading a van can be easily accomplished in a matter of minutes without sacrificing time or energy for the caregiver and loved one.

Mobility vehicles can even be outfitted with aftermarket additions such as remote start and keyless entry to  further simplify the transportation situation for independent wheelchair users and caregivers.

Mobility Seating and Restraints

Power Seat Bases
There are two popular power seat bases available for conversions; the four-way and six-way power seat bases.

  1. The four-way power seat base has a motorized action for the back and forth adjustment. This aids in transferring from or two the wheelchair or the van seat and it provides motorized rotation and forward or back movement. Some seat bases even provide up and down movement for height adjustment.
  2. The six-way power seat base includes all of the functions of the four-way power seat base, plus a motorized swivel. This seat base is used by individuals with limited muscle control in the upper extremities.

Removable Seat Base
This is a detachable seat, usually mounted on wheels or coasters.  It allows for easy conversion of the driver’s station for a wheelchair driver.  It stores in the rear of the van when not in use.

Power Pan
The power pan is designed to accommodate the disabled driver who cannot transfer from wheelchair to seat without assistance and must drive from a wheelchair.  It allows the driver who sits high in his or her wheelchair to lower the line of vision 2 ½ – 6″ (6 – 15 cm) by automatically lowering the vehicle floor in the driver’s station.

Wheel Wells
These channels are installed in a vehicle floor to lower the wheelchair driver thereby correcting visibility problems caused by excess height of the wheelchair when placed on the normal floorboard of the vehicle.

Restraints
There are two types of restraints that can be used to transport a wheelchair, manual and electric:

  1. Manual Restraint (“Tie-Down”)
    A system that cannot be operated from a wheelchair – it is operated by an attendant. When purchasing a tie-down, it is recommended that safety be considered. The most popular manual tie-down systems are the four point tie-downs; which are secured at four points of the wheelchair, thus making it a safer restraint.
  2. Electric Restraint (or Power Restraint)
    Designed for individual who are unable to fasten the manual systems, the electric system has one device mounted on the floor of the van and one mounted on the bottom of the wheelchair. When the device on the wheelchair is properly fitted into the one on the floor there is an audible click. This means that the chair is safely locked in place. The electric models also have a buzzer and/or light to indicate safe locking.

Torso Restraints
When driving a van from a wheelchair, chest harness and/or lateral trunk supports may be used together with lap belts and wheelchair restraints for those with diminished trunk musculature and balance.

Note: A seat belt and/or shoulder restraint should always be used with any tie-down system. Never depend on wheelchair locks (brakes) alone for safety when driving or being transported!

New York Updates the Handicap Symbol

You see them in parking lots, bathrooms, license plates and public transportation. It’s easily recognizable, yet most don’t think about them too much. It’s the handicap symbol, and in New York it’s getting a fresh look after 45 years.

What started as an illegal art project in Rhode Island by Sara Hendren and Brian Glenney soon transformed into a movement for change recognized by the government. Their original idea was to liven up the “stiff, robotic” look into a more active and human looking symbol. The message is to get away from presenting the look as a disAbility, and rather show that it is still a person in the chair who is still moving forward.

Inspiration for Mobility
An attempt to change the symbol in 1994 was proposed but failed. However, it did succeed as the inspiration for the new design, which was built on a grass-root platform spreading awareness through the right routes to reach real change. The biggest adopter so far is the state of New York, which signed the change into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo. In addition, NFL team Jacksonville Jaguars, the Boys and Girls Club in South Boston, and the Museum of Modern Art had all also updated their handicap logos to the new look.

The language of the symbol is also making a change. Using the word accessible now rather than handicap presents a more positive light on the symbol and thought process alike. The specific look of the logo now has the person leaning forward with arms back and wheel accented to appear spinning so that the overall appearance shows motion.

Handicap Symbol Represents Movement
No movement comes without concerns however, and the main issue presented with the Accessibility Icon Project is that it resembles an athlete and doesn’t represent the disabled as a whole. Though true from this perspective, the designer Sara Hendren pushes to move the focus away from a literal interpretation to its symbolism. The movement is not solely about a new look, but brings attention for us to take action and rethink disAbility in society.

Only time will tell if the project will gain national or even worldwide change. What is known though is that it starts conversations and gives people a new way to look at those different around them.