To be able to make full use of a wheel chair, users must have the ability to
take the wheel chair with them when travelling, going
to a shop or attend any other activity. While some handicapped
vans are converted to fit the wheel chair inside the car, either
as a seat or in the back, with other cars the wheel chair will
have to be transported on the outside of the car.
You will need a foldable chair to transport it with a wheel
chair carrier. For rigid chairs you will have to have a van that
can accommodate the chair on the inside. People who can not
continuously use a foldable chair, but also don’t have another
means of transport except a car with a wheel chair carrier,
would have to consider getting an extra foldable chair for going
out. If the disability is of such a nature that the person won’t
be able to sit in the car without his or her wheel chair then a
disability van converted accordingly will be the only option.
A
wheel chair carrier can either be added to the top of your car or it can
be bumper-mounted. Another option is the hitch carrier. This
carrier is installed on the trailer hitch, but can only support
a weight of up to 75 pounds. Manual hitch carriers are also
available. If the carrier is installed correctly it will not
damage the car or have an effect on the value. These carriers
are very much the same as the bicycle transporting carriers or
the rooftop ones you see on some cars. For people who drive
pick-up trucks there is specific carrier for use with pick-up
trucks. Once the wheel chair is folded and in the correct
position the electric lift will pick it up and position it in
the truck’s bed.
A carrier can either be manually operated or with a lift. For
disabled people with caregivers or other help when they travel,
a manually operated wheel chair carrier will be sufficient. The caregiver
will be able to remove the wheel chair from the carrier without
any trouble. Disabled people who drive their own cars and travel
alone would be better suited by a lift operated carrier.
With technology advancing at an amazing speed the choices become
more and more and the carriers are becoming more and more
user-friendly.
As with any other purchases, price will be the great
consideration in the choice of wheelchair carriers. Prices vary from around
$150 for a very basic carrier to $2000 or more for the more
advanced types. Because of the many types available the range in
price is very wide.
Another option would be to look around for used
wheel chair carrier. It
will be cheaper but it might be more difficult to find one that
will fit a specific car. There are different size carriers for
larger and smaller cars. If the carrier has an electric lift it
is always good to make sure everything is in working order and
safe.
