Auto Access
Auto access products are designed to help people with limited mobility
hit the road and travel independently. Services and products
range from the entry level, such as ramps and simple lifts, to the more
detailed, such as complete vehicle conversions. Many HMEs can ease
their way into providing auto access with the more “entry level” products,
as those items often do not necessitate the tools and expertise that
massive van conversion projects require.
For instance, ramps are used for patients that are traveling with a
caregiver who can help them get in and out of the vehicle, and that
help take care of getting the mobility device in and out of the vehicle.
Or they can be used for patients with only limited mobility that can be
ambulatory for short durations of time and that are capability of setting
up the ramp and loading and unloading the device on their own.
Also, lifts attach to a vehicle and allow a power mobility device user
or caregiver to roll the device onto the lift, secure it and hit the road.
But, they do not require overhaul of a vehicle like a conversion would.
Auto access continues to provide an attractive retail sales category
for providers, which is important because tighter Medicare funding has
forced providers to seek new revenue streams. Here are some recent
solutions on the market:
Bruno Independent Living Aids, Inc.
Valet Signature Seating
Bruno rebrands turning seat products
Bruno Independent Living Aids has rebranded its line of
turning seats from Turning Automotive
Seating (TAS) to Valet Signature Seating.
The individual names of the products within TAS—the Turnout, Turny,
Turny Orbit and Compact Lift-Up Seat – proved somewhat confusing for
customers. The simple marketing strategy of Good (Valet), Better (Valet
Plus) and Best (Valet Limited) is designed to make the products easy for
dealers and customers to understand.
Convaid
Carrot 3
Restraint system accommodates growing children
Convaid’s Carrot 3 child restraint system, inspired by
racecar seat design principles that protect against
side impacts, is designed to promote good positioning
and safety with its built-in growth function
that accommodates children 30 to 108 lbs. The
system features an open-angle recline feature that
allows it to recline at any position from 90 to 180
degrees. The LATCH-equipped (lower anchors and
tethers for children) system exceeds the U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 (FMVSS 213) and
is certified for aircraft travel.
Invacare
Power wheelchair lifts fold automatically when occupied
Harmar Lift for Invacare Power Wheelchairs
Harmar’s two power lifts, designed exclusively
for Invacare, feature a padded hold-down arm to
conveniently secure the chair so no modifications
are required. The lifts fold down automatically
when occupied with no straps tie-downs required
and include a manual crank backup and license
plate mount. Two lifts are available, one that can
transport the Invacare Pronto M41, M51 and M61
and one for transport of Invacare Pronto M91,
TDXSI, TDX-SP and TDX-SR power wheelchairs.
EZ-ACCESS
Trifold Ramp Advantage Series
Ramp features skidresistant tread
The Trifold Ramp Advantage Series from EZ-ACCESS
offers a three-fold design and
provides the length required
for wheelchairs and scooters
to easily access steps, vehicles
and raised landings. The ramp
features skid-resistant tread
with yellow safety strips and a
self-adjusting bottom transition
plate for easy conversion
from ramp to ground. The
optional top lip extension
allows for rear door access on
utility trailers, SUVs and vans.
EZ-ACCESS
Cargo Wedge
Cargo wedge provides smooth scooter transition
The EZ-ACCESS cargo ramp is designed as a
transport system for scooters when use in combination
with the Trifold Advantage series ramp.
Without altering the vehicle, the cargo wedge
compensates for the difference between the
rear door threshold and the lower-level cargo
area, allowing mobility equipment to be loaded/unloaded with a smooth transition The wedge
features durable and 100 percent recycled
rubber material that provides slip-resistance in all
weather conditions.
Intermotive Inc.
Intelligent Lift Interlock System (ILIS)
Interlock designed for new Nissan vehicle
InterMotive’s FMVSS 403-compliant shift interlock
(ILIS301-A) is designed for the 2012 Nissan NV. The
Intelligent Lift Interlock System (ILIS) is the first interlock
on the market for this new vehicle and it will
allow Nissan mobility and work truck customers to
lock the vehicle in Park when the wheelchair lift or
work equipment (e.g. a bucket) is not stowed.
Harmar Access
AL560 Automatic Universal Power Chair Lift
Adjustable Platform
- Carries many popular power chairs and
offers a capacity of 350 lbs. with no chair
modifications necessary.
- Features a 28.5x38.5-inch adjustable
platform, manual crank backup and
license plate mount. Swing-away option
is available.
- Class III Hitch Adapter is standard and
Class II upgrades are available.
Bruno Independent Living Aids, Inc.
Bruno redesigns interior platform lift
Joey
Bruno Independent Living Aids has redesigned the
Joey, an interior platform lift, with new features that
increase safety and accessibility. Using easy, onebutton
operation, the platform has been enlarged,
handling personal mobility devices (scooters or
power wheelchairs) up to 28-inches wide, with
drive-on/drive-off capability from either side—no
reversing necessary. An optional barrier restraint
package, with retractable, one-hand operation
belts, provides additional protection during unintentional
sudden stops, and a more powerful motor
provides faster in/out operation.
Pride Mobility Products
Exterior lift requires little to no vehicle modifications
Outlander Exterior Lift
Silver Star Lifts and Ramps’ Outlander Exterior Lift provides
a durable, easy-to-use system to transport power chairs or scooters.
A simple hitched-based installation requires little to no vehicle
modifications allows for easy removal. Features include a
380-lb. lifting capacity, a new standard license plate
holder, a dock-down arm for use with scooters, standard adjustable wheel
chocks and manual override. A drive-on/drive-off
platform allows user to enter from either direction.
A shock-absorbing “cradle effect” protects
power chairs from jarring vibrations.
Pride Mobility Products
Backpacker AVP fits variety of vehicles
Backpacker AVP
The Backpacker AVP from Pride Silver Star Lifts and
Ramps is engineered specifically to fit a wide variety of
vehicles including SUVs. The Backpacker AVP features
all-steel construction and a protective finish, along
with an industrial rated 12 volt motor and battery pack, and easy-to-use controls to combine rugged durability
with safe, simple and reliable operation. Other features
include an adjustable platform for smaller SUVs from
42- to 34-inches, manual override, adjustable wheel
chocks on the platform surface and a new, angled lowprofile platform.