Ways To Modify an Old Car for a Driver With a Disability
Many people with disabilities still need vehicles to take them where they need to go—just with extra modifications. For those with the ability to drive, consider outfitting your vehicle with alterations that make it easier for you to control the vehicle. An older car may give you more grief as you attempt to alter it, but if it’s irreplaceable or too expensive to buy a custom car, this is another good option. These ways to modify an old car for a driver with a disability will make it easier and safer for the driver—even in an antique or rustic vehicle.
Wheelchair Accessibility
Depending on the driver’s capabilities, you may need to make different kinds of changes to the interior or exterior of the car. In the case of a driver who uses a wheelchair and drives a van, there are both interior and exterior modifications you can make to the vehicle for the wheelchair or scooter. For example, you can install a lift on either the inside or outside of the van for easy transportation of the wheelchair.
Furthermore, by removing the seats in the back of the van, you can create an easy storage area for the wheelchair or scooter like a TGA Breeze s4. Though this takes away from the number of passengers that can occupy the vehicle, it’s worth it for the extra storage. If there’s enough room in the van, you may even consider storing the wheelchair through the side rather than the back
Pedal Extensions
For drivers with limited usage of their legs or feet, pedal extensions can make driving easier and potentially less painful. These extensions connect either directly to the existing pedals of the vehicle or to the floor and snap to the pedal when it’s time to drive. By using pedal extensions, drivers with disabilities can focus on posturing themselves safely while maintaining their ability to drive themselves.
For example, after the loss of a right leg or foot due to amputation, installing left-footed pedals may be the perfect modification for these drivers. Though they have to become re-licensed, re-learning how to drive using the left foot is better than not driving at all. Additionally, when a driver wants to hang onto their preexisting vehicle but needs to make some changes, extensions that can be customized and fitted to any kind of pedal are ideal.
Hand Controls
Drivers with a total loss of function in their legs can still drive with the installation of hand controls instead of foot-based pedal controls. It’s even possible to install hand controls in a manual car! Hand controls provide all the functionality that pedals provide, but at the driver’s fingertips instead of their feet. It may take extra work to install the hand controls, but the driver will retain their independence as they can continue driving. All of these ways to modify an old car for a driver with a disability provide accessibility and freedom to drivers that would otherwise lose it in an unmodified vehicle.
