Wheelchair Market

I recently got married, and my wife is in a wheelchair. She cannot transfer into a car, so she has a Chevy van with an aftermarket wheelchair lift installed. Frankly, neither the van nor the lift are in great shap. In fact, I've been told that her lift - a Ricon - is a bottom-of-the-barrel brand.

Obviously, when the time comes to replace the vehicle and/or lift, it's going to be a major expenditure. So that I can start planning for it, how much does an aftermarket lift usually cost, what is a good brand/model to get, and what factors should I consider in deciding which one to get?

Also, any experience on which vans might be better than others for installing such a lift?
Richard - thanks, but I'm trying to *not* spend $25-$45k on a completely modified van. I just want to buy a standard minivan or whatever and add a lift onto it.

I am car salesman in Virginia. I have dealt with several different companies that install wheelchair lifts. I have liked working with The Mobility Center the best. Their phone number is 800-231-7774.

Which Chevy van does your wife have? Is the lift on the inside, or just holding the chair behind the vehicle? Out of the Chevy vans the Express is better than the old Astro, Venture, or the new Uplander to add an inside lift to. It can handle the added weight of the lift because its a fullsize van instead of minivan. If you do decide to buy a new van I would get a full size for that reason. I have sold every brand of van there is, and I think the Express is the best fullsize van out there.

Dodge quit making a fullsize passenger van. They still make the Sprinter, but its more of a delivery vehicle. The Ford Econoline is the most popular, because businesses buy them. They are the cheapest one that will get the job done. However, the Express is a more technologically advanced van. The Ford has not been updated in years.

It will cost around $500 more to install a lift into an Express over an Econoline because of the way the floor is raised up in the Chevy. I forget the details of why, but it makes it harder to install the lift. I can't remember if Ford does, but Chevy gives an additonal $1500 mobility rebate for stuff like wheelchair lifts. Keep in mind rebates are only on new vehicles though.

As for the lift itself, I think Braun makes one of the better lifts out there. Check www.braunlift.com. Their website will locate the dealer nearest you. Check with several of them to get price quotes, make sure you give them all the details and they give you an acurate install price so you can compare apples to apples. Some will leave out details that will become extra charges later on.

If you wanted to put a lift in a minivan, I have seen more of them in Dodge Grand Caravans than anything else. But that could just be because Dodge sells more minivans than all the other brands put togather.

I hope this helps. Email me with any questions.

2007-04-29 15:29:54 by JohnD

Freedom Motors USA, Inc. (FMI) is the premier manufacturer of lowered floor, rear-entry wheelchair accessible minivans. Fully crash-tested, the ...

what should we look for when 'shopping around'?
what are the biggest things to watch out for?

Dear friend about many other important requirements please keep on searching as it’s a matter of special person with special needs.

You can look for the following;
Safety in balance (that user is mounted safely & cant easily fall down)
Safety in battery & circuit (that battery & circuit are not faulty that they don’t heat up or hang wire or release smoke)
Motion Controllers (they are easy to use and you are comfortable with them)
Seat material (material of the seat is comfortable to sit on for long periods)

2007-11-26 22:23:56 by JustAskingYou

Price: $325.00 $325.00

hi,
I use a wheelchair so that really hinders my businees because I lot of houses aren't acessiable, sugestions on how I can network and market?

The idea is to get them to come to your house. It does not matter if you are in a wheelchair. One of the greatest leaders of all time was President Franklin Roosevelt and he was in a wheelchair from the time he contacted polio as a young adult. This did not stop him from achieving his dream. There are many different ways to do your sales and I am sure there will be other posts on this answer from people who do Mary Kay Sales. Since you are in a wheel chair you are going to have to use an instrument that scares most people new to the sales business. It is called the telephone/cellphone. We use the phone all the time for mindless chit chat, but when it comes to asking something from someone we get nervous You are going to have to mentally tough and understand that people will say mean things to you and/or hang up in your face. Sales is a people to people business You can also do direct mailing and send samples and invitations through the mail. Anyway, I wish great success.

2008-05-04 10:56:57 by lindiejon

Price: $325.00 $325.00

I don't mean these scams posted in small business or other Yahoo Answers sections. I am seeking meaningful telecommuting work at Fortune 500 companies. I work in marketing research. Thanks

Call the HR dept. of companies you are interested in and ask them about jobs that allow disabled people to telecommute. If you call the state personel board, they can direct you to programs for people with disabilities. CA has a LEAP program that allows people to bypass the normal job testing and placement routine for office work. I'm sure there are tons of other resources you can check with, too. Good luck.

2007-12-21 04:33:26 by doug02346

I was in front of a market and I was too tired to go home and I saw a granny on a wheelchair and I thought:A new ride home. Was that bad?

you should've tossed her on the roof. Thanks for the questions. They're fun

2006-10-03 03:20:26 by Astronomer and penguin lover