Four Tips for Travelling with Passengers with Disabilities

Sarah Travel

For any parent or carer, being able to reliably transport disabled children without worrying about their safety or well-being is a significant issue. Finding a vehicle that can adequately support any necessary special equipment will be a major priority, as will ensuring that they’re comfortable throughout the journey.

Moreover, if you have someone in the family that may have restricted mobility, you may also need a vehicle that has rear or side wheelchair access. You may have to look into wheelchair vans seattle or near your location to get a new or pre-owned inventory of vehicles of different types, make, model, and price range.

So, here are four tips for travelling with passengers with disabilities.

Finding the Right Sized Vehicle

With so many options available to you, it can be difficult to narrow down of your choices. Generally speaking, though, hatchbacks will be better than a saloon for those traveling with younger children. This is because they have more room in the boot for equipment like strollers and buggies. If you often find yourself taking a lot of specific equipment with on trips out, consider choosing an estate as this will give you even more square footage.

Dealing with Misbehaving Children

Any child has a tendency to act out at times. However, if your child has learning disabilities, it can occasionally be more difficult to explain the danger of the situation to them. This is especially important when travelling. You can use a five-point security harness to better secure your child in the vehicle and prevent them from releasing the seatbelt themselves. Often times, the child is simply misbehaving because they are uncomfortable and feel unsecure.

Passengers with Limited Mobility

The good news is that there are lots of ways you can help if you’re traveling with passengers who have limited mobility and use Standard Wheelchairs. You can purchase a ramp that attaches to the vehicle, which will help with getting the wheelchair in and out. You can also make sure that you have plenty of room in the vehicle for the wheelchair and have adequate straps to secure the wheelchair in place. Moreover, you should take extra care to ensure the wheelchair has adequate cushioning to reduce the impact of bumps on the road and keep the passenger safe and comfortable during the journey.For instance, when transferring someone to and from a wheelchair, it’s much easier if the seat and the wheelchair are at the same height. If you don’t want to make any changes yourself, companies like Allied Mobility specialise in creating wheelchair accessible vehicles that can be tailored to your needs from the ground-up.

Thinking about the Future

Finally, when planning on modifications on any vehicle, it’s always important to consider the future ramifications of these. Ask yourself is your child is still growing and how their condition might change over the next few years. If you’re buying a conversion kit, try to find one that can be easily removed and fitted to another vehicle. This could end up saving you a lot of time and money when you buy another car down the line.