2017 International Day of People with Disability was celebrated yesterday, December 3, 2017. This year’s theme is “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all” which aims to tell us that we should leave no one behind – making people with disabilities and active part of our growing community. Although the awareness may be held yesterday, there are still lots of events out there to join. Click this link and see events around your community you can participate in.
People with disabilities that impact on walking are using a wheelchair to easily get from one place to another. But what about if they were to go somewhere far? That’s where the wheelchair access vehicles come in.
We are lucky enough that Freedom Motors Australia has shown us one of their wheelchair access vehicle. Check out the videos below to see what you should expect in a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
To summarize, here’s what you need to look out for when choosing the wheelchair accessible vehicle:
- Floor – The floor should be sturdy enough that it will outlast the vehicle itself!
- Quality – Check how the rivets or glue has been set up, and make sure there are no noise or air leaks.
- Height – Make sure that when sitting in the wheelchair inside the vehicle, the head shouldn’t be touching the roof. Also make sure that the height of the entry is tall enough.
- Gap – The gap of the wheelchair from the walls, chairs, and floor should be wide enough to allow for comfort but also cozy that the person sitting in the wheelchair shouldn’t feel left out.
- Docking System – This is very important as this holds the wheelchair in the car. You can either have a hook system or an automated docking system on the floor like what is shown in the above video.
- Ramp – This is used for the wheelchair to enter the vehicle. You can have this placed on the back or side, etc. You can also have a manual ramp or electric ramp. What’s important is that it should be able to support the weight of the wheelchair and the person sitting in it.
If you’d like more information, have an occupational therapist assist you with assessments, or to try out wheelchair accessible vehicles, feel free to contact us and we will assist you in the best way we can.
That’s it for us, we hope you enjoyed this blog and let us know how you celebrated 2017 International Day of People with Disability within your community!
