Before You Buy A Wheelchair-Accessible Van: Practical Guide to Accessible Vehicles, Ramps, Conversions, Seating, Securement, Dealers, Funding, Used Vans and Avoiding Costly Mistakes

Buying a wheelchair-accessible vehicle is a major decision. The right van has to fit much more than the wheelchair.Before You Buy a Wheelchair-Accessible Van is an independent, practical guide to working out what you actually need before you commit to an expensive vehicle or conversion.It walks you through the decisions that matter: whether the wheelchair user will drive or ride as a passenger, side entry versus rear entry, ramps versus lifts, occupied height and headroom, seating and transfers, wheelchair securement, dealer due diligence, used accessible vehicles, warranties, funding, financing, insurance and long-term ownership costs.You will also get 10 practical worksheets and decision tools to help you record measurements, compare configurations, check dealers, inspect used vehicles, track funding and financing, calculate true ownership cost and reach a final BUY / RE-TEST / CLARIFY / PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT / REJECT decision.A wheelchair-accessible van is not suitable simply because a wheelchair can be loaded into it. It must fit the person, the chair, the journeys, the driver, the conversion, the budget and the support available after the sale.Use this guide before you buy, before you finance and before you accept a vehicle that does not truly fit your life.