Archive for motability – Page 5

wheelchair lifts for cars

Assessing Boot Hoists

Posted by Jean Cheesman on
 March 6, 2017

wheelchair lifts for cars

Boot hoists are used to lift wheelchairs and mobility scooters into the car safely and effortlessly and are one of the most popular adaptations on the Motability Scheme.

Hoists are the biggest growing market since Motability started subsidising through the Adaptation Scheme. They are a necessary product for thousands of people who rely on their scooters and wheelchairs for their daily independence.

To a direct client, they can cost from £800.00 to £1,800.00, but the Motability Scheme offers huge subsidies on hoists, meaning many cost a fraction of that!

Whilst it’s all good news, we have to ensure your customer receives the correct hoist to lift their scooter or chair and that it fits into the correct vehicle.
When we receive an online order for a hoist we always contact your customer, check what size of chair they are looking to lift and make sure it will fit into the vehicle whilst retaining sufficient seats. You’d be surprised how often we receive an order for a hoist only to discover that your customer’s chair/scooter doesn’t actually fit in the car!

So, what can you do as a Motability Specialist?

  1. Make sure your Motability customer brings their scooter/wheelchair with them at their initial visit to look at your range of cars.
  2. Make sure it can fit into the vehicle – many scooters and wheelchairs are foldable and can be dismantled to a point, but, depending on their disability, your customer may or may not be able to do this.
  3. Make sure your customer is fully aware that their chair/scooter may take up some of the car seating capacity.
  4.  Use your Adaptation Specialist!  Call us when you are with your customer so we can offer on-the-spot advice and help. Every day we talk to Motability Specialists advising on appropriate vehicles, hoists and their chair/scooter combinations. We spend many hours demonstrating hoists to customers to ensure their hoist and vehicle combination is spot on! Use our expertise so you can offer the very best service to your customer.

Please click here to see further product information on our website.

Hoists
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WAV

Does your Motability client really need a WAV?

Posted by Jean Cheesman on
 December 22, 2016

WAV

Motability Dealerships regularly message us saying they have a client who would like to travel in a vehicle, sitting in their wheelchair.  They will typically have researched the internet and off the back of this have called their local dealership, asking for a particular vehicle to be converted into a WAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle). ‘Chances are the Motability Specialist will spend time showing cars to their client, looking at the internet with them and pulling together prices.

It’s usually at this stage the Specialist calls us only to hear disappointing news…..

Motability will not allow a vehicle on the Standard Car Scheme to be converted into a WAV. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Mini Clubman or a full sized van that could be converted into a WAV. It’s not allowed on the Motability Scheme.

The reason why?

Motability have a WAV Scheme with a selection of Motability approved vehicles that have already been converted by Motability approved converters. If someone wants to travel in a wheelchair in a Motability vehicle it has to be purchased through the WAV Scheme.

So, if one of your clients is looking for a WAV, you could direct them to the Motability website, where they can find all the information they need…

But you can always call one of our team and ask us to get in touch with your customer.

There may well be other products your client is not aware of that would solve their accessibility issues, eliminating the need for a WAV altogether. You’d be surprised at how many people are unaware of the existence of swivel seats, sliding plates, wheelchair hoists, person hoists, etc. Any one of these, or a combination, would allow many of your clients to travel in the front seat of a standard car. A WAV is not their only option.

If, after all this, your client does need a WAV, we will always point them in the right direction.

WAV
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Lowering swivel Seat - Turny Evo

Why Motability have made Swivel Seat demos compulsory

Posted by Jean Cheesman on
 November 28, 2016

Lowering swivel Seat - Turny EvoSwivel seats are the ideal solution for a person with a mobility issue. They enable a passenger or driver to sit comfortably in the front of a car and are often an alternative to sitting in the back of a wheelchair accessible van.

The only drawback with swivel seats is that they don’t work for everyone. In our experience, for every three people we meet looking at a swivel seat to help them access a vehicle, only one is actually suited to it.

For this reason alone, at Ergomobility we have only ever fitted a swivel seat if the person has had a full demonstration and assessment by us or, someone trusted by us.

It may surprise you to know that a common reason for an early termination or returned vehicle on the Motability Scheme is the selling of a swivel seat to someone who mistakenly thought it would solve their access issues; a belief that was unchallenged due to there being no demonstration, or the wrong advice given by their adaptation specialist.

So, it’s good news that under Motability it is compulsory for anyone buying a swivel seat on the Online Scheme to have had a demonstration carried out by the adaptation company. 

Although this is not necessarily your responsibility, it certainly puts you in a very good light if you can ensure your customer speaks to the right adaptation company; one with experience and expertise in the complex area of swivel seats. The last thing you want is a customer returning their vehicle because they weren’t given the correct advice.

Not all Adaptation Specialists have swivel seat expertise. We do, so don’t hesitate to give us a call for advice.

Please click here to see further product information on our website.

Swivel Seats
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Electronic hand controls

Discreet Push/Pull Hand Controls – a Better Way to Drive

Posted by grantmoyse on
 October 15, 2016

Electronic pull acceleratorPush/pull hand controls are one of the most commonly fitted vehicle adaptations, providing thousands of people the option of driving without the use of their legs. These adaptations are also often used alongside a steering ball, making the driving experience much easier and more comfortable.

The basic idea and use of push/pulls hasn’t varied much in 50 years, but there is a variance in the quality of some of the push/pull hand controls on the market.

We always recommend the highest quality discreet push/pull controls where possible… and here’s why:

  • The rods are hidden behind the dashboard. Why? Rods running on the outside of the dash not only look unsightly, but drivers can catch and hurt their knees on them when entering or leaving the car.
  • The clamps around the pedals are high up so they don’t get in the way when the driver wants to use the standard pedals. Pedal clamps that sit too low can hit the driver’s feet when the pedals are being used. Crucially they can also get in the way of knee airbags.

There are a number of manufacturers who offer discreet hand controls on the Motability Scheme – and every approved adaptations company can choose to fit them if they so desire… but incredibly many still fit the old fashioned ones.

Although a few specific vehicles may not be suitable for discreet hand controls, the majority are, so you should always insist on discreet hand controls wherever possible.

Don’t compromise. Everyone deserves the very best driving experience – and a disability shouldn’t have to get in the way of that.

Please click here to see further product information on our website.

Hand Controls
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Ergomobility Sussex
Units 1 – 4, Crosspost Industrial Park,
Cowfold Road, Bolney,
West Sussex, RH17 5QU

Telephone: 01444 882233

Ergomobility Thames Valley
Tylorstown,
Caversham
Reading, RG4 7XW

Telephone: 0118 321 8193

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Ergomobility is a trading name of Equivalent Engineering Ltd. VAT Registered Number 776341117
Company registered in Cardiff number 4321179 Registered office – Units 1 to 4, Crosspost Industrial Park, Cowfold Road, Bolney, RH17 5QU