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So Much is Available
By Norm Seeley | January 17, 2008
I was thinking today that there are so many things out there that are available if we need them. Many services and equipment wasn’t even thought of couple years ago.
That in itself is kinda cool.
The wheelchair van that we drive each day, was not around really until the Mini-Van came along. Boy does that make our life so much easier. Having to lift Karen out of her chair and put her in a seat in a sedan multiple times each day and then what to do with the chair, is not even fun to think about. We like doing things, getting out of the house, and I can’t imagine that we would do half the things we do, if our Wheelchair Van wasn’t there.
And for others, look at what they have done medically. I guess that applies to us too, but such services as drug treatment, come quickly to mind. They have not always been there.
One can’t forget all that has changed in home entertainment, and of course the internet. Just think, if it weren’t for the internet, there would be no NormRadio.
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January 17th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Norm,
How does the wheelchair van work? Is there a lift that Karen rolls onto? Do you lock the
chair in place somehow? I have a friend that use to custom retro fit vans for the handicaped. He worked out of Indianapolis. We go to see his shop when we went out there for the 500. A lot more goes into those vans than meets the eye!
Kris
January 17th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
The van we have is a Dodge Mini-Van that has been lowered by 10″ inside from the front firewall to the rear just before the back seats. Then a folding ramp was installed that allows Karen to drive her chair right into the van. The passenger seat has been removed, and what is called an EzLock has been installed that the chair locks into. There is a button on the dash that releases Karen when the engine is off.
With the normal Dodge Power door on the passenger side, the second or sliding door, it only takes the push of one button, to open the door and fold down the ramp.
The van has also had installed a device that kneels the van on the passenger side, so that the ramp is not as steep if it were to remain at it’s normal height.
It’s pretty cool. Our van is a Braun Van, there are several other companies including Vantage Vans, right here in Phoenix that take the mini-vans and convert them. It’s quite a process and I have seen the conversion at vantage.
You’re right about what’s involved. The interior of a normal van is completely removed before the van’s floor is dropped the 10″. Once that is done, then the interior is put back in and such things as ramps and power swivel drivers chairs and auto tie-downs (EZLocks) are added. Some wheelchair vans have power controls for those who need them or low effort steering, also for those who need it. Ours has normal power steering, as I’m the driver.
I like driving the mini-van and it works out very well for us. One of the vehicles when I had the Wheelchair Van Rental company was a full-size van with a high top. The floor had not been lowered but with the top, the interior height was able to take someone in a wheelchair. Karen didn’t like that one, because the person in the chair had to seat in the mid section rather than in the front passenger area, because of the way I had it built. That one had a lift rather than a ramp.
When Karen and I first met, she had a full-sized van with power controls for her and when I visited San Diego without one of my vans, she would drive me around. When we got married, she brought the van over but since it was built for her needs, it wasn’t easy for me to drive. In fact I can only remember one time I did drive it, and that was to move it from the front drive way of our house into the back yard. There’s a gate into the back of our house and there is cement back there and space to park several vehicles. (It now has a cover and is our patio.) But it was a straight shot, and Karen was beside the van as I tried to use the LOW Low Effort steering. We got it back there, but once was enough. We sold that van.
I have since been her private driver.