Handicap Accessible Van

Most people may not realize that handicap parking spaces have specific requirements established by federal regulations. The parking spaces must be a certain size and have extra space on the sides. This extra space should never be parked in because it could prevent someone from getting out of a handicap accessible van with a side lift. The extra space is needed to allow the person to enter and exit the vehicle using the side lift in order to get their wheel chair or scooter out of the van.

You can recognize the extra space because there will be white or yellow angles lines painted in the area next to the handicap parking space. Some places may not have this area painted off but instead choose to paint parking lines further apart with the extra space included in the parking area. Parking over the line or into the marked off area reduces the amount of space a handicap accessible van requires, so you should always make sure when parking next to a handicap space, you do not cross over the line.

If you drive a handicap accessible van and find that locating spaces which allow you use of a side entry lift is limited, then you may want to consider getting a rear entry lift vehicle instead. Depending upon your financial situation, you may decide to keep your current handicap van and just get another one with the rear lift. Having two accessible vans with different lift options provides you better flexibility to fit just about every parking situation.

A rear lift handicap accessible van allows you to enter and exit the vehicle from the rear. This type of van is ideal if you have a small garage or small parking space where your park your vehicle when at home. The only drawback is when there is a risk of someone parking directly behind you, such as with parallel parking. If you do not have to worry about getting blocked in from the rear, then you can park in other spots, even when handicap parking is not available, rather than circling the lot waiting for a spot to open up.

Most apartment communities normally will add a handicap parking space for you to park your handicap accessible van. Before moving in, you should let the apartment complex know that you will need a handicap parking space. Sometimes, there may be a space already available for the building you will be moving into and other time they will need to add additional handicap parking. You will also want to ask them if they have a towing company to call after hours should someone park in your space or park over the lines making it impossible for you to get in and out of your vehicle.

When you need to purchase a handicap accessible van you will need to determine which accessibility options and features you will need. You can choose from different lift options, car hand controls, turning automatic seating and other features to make operating your van easy. You can find assistance with finding a new or used accessible van when you use The Mobility Resource, which provides access to dealers in your area current on all the latest federally required safety regulations.