Page 12 - Mobility Management, January/February 2020

Accessibility Series
A Key to Better Outcomes?
risk of not being able to move forward at the same time,” Allison added. “Plus when they get in the van, they can’t pivot because their feet are sticking out so far, and it’s a convoluted circle.”
Bariatric Considerations
Vehicle doorway widths are usually less of a problem: “The narrowest are around 30", and most are a little bit more than that,” Allison said. “The problem might come if the arm supports are in the way,” such as if the armrests are set wider than the footprint of the wheelchair base.
When working with bariatric clients, the team also needs to consider the weight of the client plus the chair, versus what the
automotive equipment and the vehicle itself can accommodate. “Some of these chairs, with the client in them, are pushing 800 lbs.,” Allison said. “You have to be careful of the weight require- ments, not only of the ramp of the van — most newer ones are 800 lbs. to 1,000 lbs., but some older ones are only 600 lbs. — but a lot of modified minivans only have a payload capacity of around 1,100 lbs. So if you use that up with 800 lbs. for the disabled person [and the power chair], that only leaves them with 300 lbs. for cargo and other passengers. Quite often, [vehicles] are overloaded.”
Inside the vehicle, maneuvering will be required to get the power chair user to the desired location. “A lot of times, it’s easier if they can back up the ramp if they’re going to sit in the right front area as
a passenger,” Allison said. “This gives them some maneuvering room. And if they’re going to be a passenger, a lot of times they will have someone to help them get in and out of the van. That makes it easier.”
A power chair user who is driving the vehicle often will use “an elec- tronic docking device so they can independently secure themselves.”
In fact, among the first transporta- tion questions to ask, Allison said,
“is can they transfer and tote the wheelchair with some other method?” and whether transfers will be done independently. Even if wheelchair users can transfer independently, will they need help stowing and securing the empty wheelchair if wheelchairs are coming along for the ride?
“There are quite a few products on the market to help with transfers,” Allison said, “without going to a ramp van.” If the power chair is coming along, many consumers assume that
a scooter-style carrier mounted to the back of the car will suffice.
“Most rehab chairs aren’t going to fit,” Allison said. “Not if you have a rehab seat.”
Given everything that needs to be discussed, Allison said having a CDRS as part of the assessment team would be “the ideal scenario. Best-case scenario is having the funding source there as well, and the [wheelchair] vendor. But that doesn’t happen very often.”
Bringing Everyone Together
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