Mobility Info - Canada
Vehicle Seating Solutions
Unless they have a wheelchair accessible vehicle, wheelchair users will need to transfer from their wheelchair to the vehicle’s seat. With the right technique, many can achieve this either independently or with some assistance, enabling them to use the car’s existing seating. However, there are now various seating solutions that make the process of getting in, getting comfortable and getting out again much easier, not just for wheelchair users but for anyone who experiences difficulty as a result of reduced mobility. Some of these solutions entail the replacement of existing seating, whereas others involve adaptations to it.
Swivel seats are perhaps the most common method of facilitating access for wheelchair users and those who have trouble sitting and standing. The swivel seat is fitted as a replacement for the driver or passenger seat. It works by swinging out and lowering to a convenient height; it then takes the occupant into the vehicle before lowering and locking into position. Some systems swivel 90 degrees so that the seat faces out of the door – this is often sufficient to allow easier access. Others additionally slide out over the sill, further improving accessibility. There are also swivel seats that rotate 180 degrees, with the result that they finish facing backwards away from the open car door. If transferring from a wheelchair, the chair will need to be loaded afterwards.
Examples of swivel seat systems include the Belek Car Seat System, the Elap Rotating Car Seat, the Turny and the Turnout swivel base.
Sometimes the existing seating can be adapted to move up and down or swivel without the need to replace the whole seat. The Tilda seat tilt, for instance, can complement other seating solutions to keep the user in the ideal position when swivelling to transfer. Perhaps the simplest seating solution is the ‘turntable’ cushion. This sits on the car seat and allows the occupant to turn through 90 degrees to face forwards.
An alternative to a swivel chair for wheelchair users is a transport wheelchair system, in which a specially designed wheelchair seat slides into the car to double as the car seat – this eliminates the need to transfer from one seat to another. Commonly, the wheelchair and occupant are backed up to the car then hooked onto the system. A motor then raises and swivels the seat, before locking it in place in the car. The base of the wheelchair is then loaded separately, except in the Carony Drive system, where the undercarriage and wheels are lowered to a compact height to allow the user to drive the vehicle. The Elap Traveller and Carony 12” and 24” are other examples of transport wheelchair systems.
There will be some people who can get in and out of a vehicle easily enough but would benefit from more comfortable seating during the journey. For this reason it is possible to replace the driver or passenger seat with an adjustable, ergonomic seat that combines the best in comfort, safety and the latest technology. The Recaro range of seating, available from Steering Developments Ltd., features adjustable seat height, seat angle, side bolsters and headrest. The high backrest offers optimal support by matching the curvature of the spine. The Recaro range encompasses several different models, including child seats. The seats are also compatible with some swivel seat solutions, such as the Turnout.
Seating Solutions and Installers
Elap Mobility is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of rotating car seats. Their rotating car seat fits into over 1,500 types of 2 and 4 door vehicle, using the existing floor holes. It rotates through 90 degrees, making entering and leaving the car much more straightforward. The Elap Traveller is a wheelchair system that combines a swivel seat with a wheelchair base. The seat moves from the car to the base using a rail system; the height of the wheelchair base can be adjusted to match the rail height. As with most wheelchair systems, the base needs to be loaded separately.
The Elap Discovery is a lowering swivel seat that is programmed by computer to suit a particular vehicle. It can be installed either on the passenger or driver side and is especially suited to people carriers and 4x4s that have high sills to negotiate. The Discovery can also be combined with the Traveller system, utilising the same bespoke wheelchair base.
Autoadapt supplies seating adaptations to dealers throughout the country and is known principally for the Turny and Turnout swivel seats and the Carony transport wheelchair systems. The Turny is a motorised swivel car seat lift that can be installed on either side and in the front or back of the vehicle. The variable raise and lower function makes it an ideal way to transfer to a wheelchair or to stand up on exiting a high-silled vehicle. The Turny is operated by electric motor with a manual control but also with the option of remote control.
The Turnout is a swivel base adaptable for 2 or 4 door cars (Turnout 2 and Turnout 4 respectively). It is installed on a bracket in the original seat mountings and can be removed simply if the vehicle is replaced. Although usually manually operated, an electrically powered version, the Turnout E, is also available. The latter works via manual control, with remote control an optional extra. The Turnin swivel base is a system that swivels a chair into a vehicle, and is intended for use in MPVs and minibuses.
Both the Turny and Turnout can be combined with the Carony system, allowing the seat to dock with a wheelchair base outside the vehicle. The wheelchair base has either 12” or 24” wheels and can be manual or powered (Carony Go). The Carony can be used outside the vehicle as a regular wheelchair; the larger wheel version is for those who can propel themselves whereas the 12 inch wheels are designed for an attendant-propelled chair.
The Carony Drive is a recent development that allows the user to drive a vehicle direct from the wheelchair without the need to detach the seat from the wheelchair base. Suited to wheelchair accessible vehicles, the joystick-controlled power chair lowers to a compact 38cm with the footrests automatically moving forward to accommodate the most comfortable driving position. The user enters the vehicle via a ramp or wheelchair lift before the Carony Drive is securely docked with a floor-mounted wheelchair lock where the driver’s seat would normally be. The seat itself can be adapted to personal requirements and accessorized to suit. The Carony Drive’s narrow width of 64.5cm makes it suitable for indoor use as well as in the car and outside.
The Carony, Turny and Turnout are also available from Auto Mobility Concepts Ltd and Steering Developments Ltd., experts in the field of vehicle adaptations. The Belek Rise and Fall Seat is another solution that they can install. This seat can rise and fall using a stable scissor lift mechanism and is also capable of moving back and forth on extended seat runners. Additionally, it incorporates a 90 degrees swivel system to permit easier access and features powered recline facility. It is useful for vehicles where there is a discrepancy between the level at which the driver enters and the level at which he needs to sit in order to drive. The Belek can also help drivers who have trouble assuming an upright position and those who need to transfer to a wheelchair.
The cost of the various seating solutions varies enormously. While a simple turntable cushion will set you back £25+, expect to pay from £2,500 to £6,000 to acquire and fit the specially installed swivel seat systems and transport wheelchair products.
