France
Germany
Italy
Spain
Netherlands
Belgium (French)
Belgium (Dutch)
Ireland
Czechia
Considering a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) but not sure if it’s right for you? Designed specifically for wheelchair users, many disabled people choose a wheelchair accessible vehicle over a standard car due to the safety, practicality and the overall health benefits travelling in an accessible car offers.
What is a WAV?
A WAV is a specially adapted vehicle that allows the wheelchair user to enter and exit the car with ease due to a lightweight, low-gradient fixed ramp in the rear. This means rather than transferring from your wheelchair to your car’s passenger seat, you can travel in your vehicle from the comfort of your wheelchair or powerchair.
Converted from a number of manufacturer base vehicles including Ford, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Vauxhall, Citroen and Renault, Allied Mobility offer a large selection of wheelchair accessible vehicles brimming with all the latest OEM features you have come to expect in a modern car.
With different sizes of WAVs available, which one you choose depends on where you would like to travel in the WAV (i.e., backseat passenger, upfront passenger or driver), the size of your wheelchair and the number of people you would like to travel with.
What are the Health Benefits of a WAV?
WAVs Reduce Strain and Injury
Every Allied Mobility passenger WAV comes equipped with an electric-assist winch. If you have a manual wheelchair this tool can prove helpful in supporting the weight of your chair and body as you move up and down the ramp.
So, whether you are a wheelchair user entering the vehicle yourself with reduced strength and/ or mobility, a parent of a disabled child that is becoming too heavy to lift, or if you care for a wheelchair user and don’t have the strength to help transfer them from their wheelchair into a standard car, a wheelchair accessible vehicle helps to prevent strain and injury by making access in and out of the vehicle simple and safe for everyone.
No More Missed Medical Appointments
The extra freedom a WAV offers can be hugely beneficial to your health. Gone are the days of relying on public transport or waiting around for a wheelchair accessible taxi. By removing transport barriers, a WAV allows you to regain control of where you go and when.
For customers like Jayne, having the freedom to travel where and when she wants means staying on top of her health. Instead of relying on unreliable taxi services, Jayne’s Ford Independence™ wheelchair accessible vehicle means she can get to crucial hospital appointments on time, avoiding delays in treatment.
WAVs Boost Wellbeing
More than a mode of transportation, an Allied Mobility WAV can boost overall wellbeing by offering increased freedom and independence to get out there and do the things you love. From dinners with friends to relaxing breaks away – feelings of isolation, stress and anxiety are reduced as you no longer have to worry about how you’re going to get to your chosen destination.
Social Seating
With an Allied Mobility WAV, the journey is as important as the destination, to ensure you are included in conversation, car singalongs and debates over directions, our passenger WAVs are designed so wheelchair users can sit alongside friends and family in row two, rather than being excluded at the back of the car.
If you would rather sit upfront or even drive the vehicle, our AlliedGo™ range can facilitate this with Internal Transfer (IT), Drive From Wheelchair WAVs (DFW) and Upfront Passenger WAVs available.
How Do You Get a WAV?
There are lots of ways to take ownership of a WAV, from leasing a new or nearly new vehicle through the Motability Scheme, buying a new or second-hand accessible car outright or hiring for short or long-term, our expert mobility advisors are here to help you find the perfect WAV solution for you and your family.
