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DISCLAIMER:
Whilst all care is taken to provide accurate information with respect to the item described, the Independent Living Centre (ILC) is not involved in product design or manufacture, and therefore not in a position to guarantee the accuracy of the information provided. Selection of equipment, which is both suitable and appropriate for individual needs remains the responsibility of the person(s) considering requisition, and no responsibility is taken by the ILC for any loss or injury caused through use of the equipment or alleged to have arisen through reliance upon information provided. As information is subject to change any enquiries should be directed to the manufacturer.
Item Details
A Buyers Guide - Vans For Transporting People In A Wheelchair
ILC Reference NO 51:02:601
Item sourced from ILC ACT database
Short Description
Many companies manufacture vans that with modifications are suitable for transporting people in wheelchairs, ie. with wheelchair hoist or ramps, wheelchair restraints, raising the roof and/or door opening heights, alteration of seating arrangements etc.
Price Guide
Refer to supplier details for pricing.
More Details
POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING A VAN
Internal Height:
. Measure the height of the person sitting as upright as possible in their wheelchair from the van floor to the top of their head and add 100 mm for clearance. Australian Standards AS2942-1994 recommend 1500 mm minimum internal head room. Note that electric wheelchair users will often sit higher than manual wheelchair users and therefore may need a higher roof.
. Very few vehicles offer sufficient headroom without major modification. Some vehicles achieve additional headroom by lowering the floor, rather than raising the roof.
Door Height:
. Measure the height of the person sitting in the wheelchair from the floor to the top of their head when they are bending their head as far forward as possible. Australian Standards AS2942-1994 recommend 1400 mm minimum height of doorways for wheelchair access.
. If the passenger in a wheelchair has limited head movement or is tall it may be necessary to modify the height of the doorway.
. It is important to note the height of the wheelchair hoist when considering a vehicle with a curved or sloping door ie. Toyota Tarago, as the hoist may not fit without additional modification which will contribute to the expense.
Door Width:
Australian Standards AS2942-1994 recommend 800 mm minimum door width to allow wheelchair access and hoist installation.
Floor Area:
. To accommodate a wheelchair, tracking system and hoist, the recommended minimum length of the internal floor front to back is 1800 mm, ie minimum length requirement per wheelchair is 1500 mm, minimum length required by wheelchair hoist is 300 mm.
. It is important to check that the width of the wheelchair is less than the distance between the wheel arches.
Number of Wheelchair Passengers:
. You must consider how many other seated passengers you will need to accommodate.
. If you need to carry more than two, you must allow additional room for seats to be fitted in the rear with the wheelchair.
. If you already have a van and it requires a raised roof and/or door height, you should consider the cost of vehicle modifications against the additional cost for a larger vehicle.
Windows:
. To allow wheelchair occupant a clear view of surroundings, it is
preferable for vehicle windows to extend from at least 1400 mm from the vehicle floor. The top of the window should be at least level with the wheelchair passenger's eye line.
Access to person in the wheelchair:
. Consider the importance of being able to reach the person in the
wheelchair without having to exit the vehicle and enter by the side door.
. Some models have sufficient room between the driver and front passenger seat to move to the rear between the seats.
Ventilation:
. The person in the wheelchair may not be able to reach or open windows in the rear of the vehicle.
. Air conditioning should therefore be considered with air vents facing the rear.
. The positioning of the vents and direction of airflow should also be
considered.
Ride, comfort and convenience:
. Many of the vehicles used are based on one tonne commercial vehicles - the ride can be firm to rough with a light load, particularly in a rear wheel drive van, as the wheelchair might be directly over the rear axle in a typical seating layout. Due to the van's height, a wheelchair passenger can feel unstable during cornering and on windy days as strong crosswinds can affect high vans.
Parking:
. Side loading vehicles need space to load and unload. Rear loading vehicles can often use a conventional car space. The maximum car park height at many shopping centres is two metres - this will prevent some vans from entering.
Wheelchair loading/unloading:
. loading requirements depend on the type of wheelchair (manual or powered), the size (and weight) of the chair and passenger, as well as the height of the vehicle floor above ground. Options include ramps or hoists (side or rear). The size of the hoist platform must be matched to the size of the wheelchair.
Restraints and fittings:
. the restraints for the wheelchair and passenger area will necessitate the carer crouching to floor level to attach and tighten the restraint straps. In some circumstances an electric hoist with a pulley attached to the front of the chair can be used to pull the wheelchair up a ramp and then secure the front of the chair in position.
There are always new vans coming on the market and the above considerations should be applied. Some vans which have been found suitable for modification for the needs of people being transported in wheelchairs are:
MANUFACTURER MODEL
Toyota Hi Ace
Hi Ace Commuter
14 seat bus
Town Ace
Ford Transit
Econovan 4m
Econovan 4.4m
Econovan Max 4.7m
Volkswagon Caravelle
Transporter
Mazda E1800
E2000
E2200
Daihatsu Delta High Roof
Mitsubishi Express Short Wheel Base
GL Star Wagon
Nissan Urvan
Holden Shuttle
Kia Carnival
Approximate sizes of some of the vans available:
Type of Van OLE OWI OHE Flr hgt Hgt pass cabin
.Ford Econovan 4030 1630 1820 570 1250
.Mitsubishi Express 4365 1690 1840 595 1245
-SWB
.Mitsubishi Star Wagon 4365 1690 1840
.Nissan Urvan 4860 1690 1955 1360
.Holden Shuttle 4690 1690 2170 565 1605
-High roof
.Mazda Traveller 3995 1630 1970
OLE = overall length
OWI = overall width
OHE = overall height
Flr hgt = floor height
Hgt pass cabin = height of passenger cabin
Before you buy a new or used vehicle from a dealer or privately, talk to the ILC and the companies that can modify the vehicle to ensure that the modifications are compatible with the particular vehicle model.
Supplier Information - click to supplier for contacts details
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