Are you looking for the best car for a disabled person? If you are planning to by a car which is suitable for adapting to the needs of a disabled person, we look at the range of cars available.
Many motorised vehicle features make them accessible and disability-friendly, such as hand controls for drivers with disabilities and the varying heights of makes and models for easier access.
What is the Easiest Vehicle to Enter & Exit?
No one brand or model is the easiest to get in or out of, although SUVs are voted regularly in online polls for being the best vehicle for accessibility. Three SUVs, in particular, have the minimum level of complaints, including the Lexus RX, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4. Sedans are known for being very accessible when entering or exiting because they're lower to the ground, while SUVs are higher off the ground.
People with a disability may find stepping up into an SUV instead of bending and lowering themselves into a Sedan, a more accessible option. The latter brand forces passengers with disabilities that hinder lower body or arm strength to make much more strenuous movements. It does not need to be uncomfortable or stressful when looking for the best vehicle for people with disabilities to get in and out.
The best solution to a good driving experience is to search for the right motor vehicle for you, no matter the disability.
Accessing the Car
It is important to focus on what the passenger with a disability needs before thinking of any other features you want the car, or cars, to have. Primarily, focus on how accessible the car is and how you can make it more accessible.
Ensuring your passenger has a hassle-free experience when entering and exiting the vehicle is vital to their overall experience.
There is no point in having souped-up sports cars if your passenger has to bend and potentially hurt themselves to access them.
A tip for researching models of cars is: Check which ones offer wide-opening doors, low sills, and have changeable seat heights.
If the disabled person has a wheelchair, the seat inside the vehicle must be at a similar height to the wheelchair for a smooth transition.
You should bring your passenger to dealerships with you to test the vehicles themselves. If your passenger requires any aid or cushions, take these with you to ensure they have all the support they may need. Have them test getting in and out of the vehicles you're considering a few times.
Car Doors
An aspect of entering and exiting a car involves the doors. The door handles must be straightforward to open unless you will open the door every time they enter and exit. The door handles on the inside of the vehicle must also be easy to use, especially considering if your passenger needs to swing their legs out to exit. Wide doors require more space when considering storing them in garages or car park bays.
Think about how practical wide doors may be, as your passenger will have to stretch to reach the handle each time they use the vehicle. Another feature to consider is the height of your car doors. A low or narrow car door means your passenger won't need to swing their legs or lift them too much to enter and exit your vehicle.
Seats
Car seats are an essential feature to factor in your decision-making process. If you need space around the seat for your passenger's accessibility needs, there are rear benches that can slide the seat back and forth for their convenience.
Extra space around the car seats also allows a carer to have more to work with if they need to help the person get comfortable inside. The height of your car seats is worth researching, as low ones require your hips, knees, and ankles to bend more, whereas high ones don't need you to drop down and struggle to get up again.
As a rule of thumb, seats with a 50-55cm height from the ground suit the majority of users with a disability, including wheelchair users.
There are plenty of resources, guides, and articles online on suitable vehicles for disabled passengers and drivers alike, with exact models for your convenience. If you can't find what you're looking for here or online, take yourself and your passenger to a dealership, as we mentioned previously, to see what make and model suits you best for yourselves.
Best cars for people with disabilities
Ford C-Max
To start us off: The Ford C-Max is a comfortable vehicle for both the driver and passengers.It is a suitable option for passengers that use Carony-type wheelchairs or swivel seats. The C-Max allows for hand control, pedal, and wheelchair hoist adaptations.
The high and wide doors also allow plenty of room to comfortably use seat lifts, with enough boot space for large wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Mercedes-Benz V-Class
This V-Class car is perfect for drivers with large families because of its impressive capacity of seven seats. It allows the user to install many adaptations for which it is suited, including hand controls, pedals, seat lifts, and wheelchair hoists and lifts.
It also has the right measurements for a seat lift on the driver's side, and a big luggage compartment to boot.
Toyota Yaris
The Toyota Yaris was specially designed with drivers and passengers who live in and around a city in mind because of its good mileage and low petrol consumption. It is a small car with a relatively spacious inside.
The doors can be opened quite a lot, making getting in and out a lot easier and making a swivel seat adaptation fit perfectly. It can also have hand controls and pedals fitted if needed.
Volkswagen Caddy
The Volkswagen Caddy is easy to enter, install adaptations, and make the transfer from the wheelchair to the car seat easy. There is much generosity of space, and with it being easy to install adaptations, the Caddy is a future-proof choice of car.
For example, if you don't need a swivel seat yet, you can always install it in the future. Similarly, there are many suitable adaptations for the Caddy, such as hand controls, pedals, seat lifts, and wheelchair hoists.
BraunAbility Entervan
The BraunAbility Entervan is the most functional and wheelchair-friendly option on this list. It is completely powerchair-user-friendly because you can stay seated while riding or driving. It is also hand-control adaptation friendly. The Entervan can have a permanently lowered floor for any passengers or drivers that are unable to transfer from and to an electric-powered wheelchair.
This van's brand has a lot of experience converting vehicles and offering solutions with great warranties. Be warned, however, that installing a lowered floor to the Entervan voids any warranty from its original manufacturer.You must check that your rear-entry or side-entry car has the basic safety functions and that they work properly. Legally, it must have a 3-point seat belt, a high-quality wheelchair lock, and head and neck protection.
Ford Galaxy
The multipurpose vehicle that is the Ford Galaxy, was designed and manufactured with practicality and space in mind. You enter through wide doors to one of three middle seats that individually slide forth and back.
It is similar to the Berlingo because the third row of seats can fold perfectly to add bigger boot space. The Galaxy is a comprehensively mobility-friendly car.
Citroen Berlingo
The Berlingo is known for being a great people carrier because it has all the practicality of the Berlingo van, with extra passenger usability and comfort. Its sliding doors make entry easy, while the spacious and wide inside makes access throughout the van easy.
The seven-seater version of the Berlingo offers a huge boot space when the rear row folds down flat. This space is perfect for storing a mobility scooter or wheelchair without hassle.
Volkswagen Caddy Life
The Caddy Life is another van-based vehicle, but this model has a pair of sliding doors, making access different and, in some cases, easier. You can trust Volkswagen's reputation for building quality, solid, and thoughtful designs of vehicles that are accessible-friendly.
Under the Mobility Scheme, these adaptations can be fitted for no extra cost.
MotorHome Towbars provide cars, scooters, wheelchairs and more, so if you're interested, please reach out to us, and we can adapt your motor for your disability.
Are you looking for disability car adaptions in Lincoln And Lincolnshire? We have a huge range of adaptations available and would love to discuss this with you.