Six Common Emotions That Come with Buying a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle

Like any large purchase, buying a wheelchair accessible vehicle comes with a roller coaster of emotions. It’s equal parts excitement and anxiety, but with proper research and a team to support you, when you get ready to take the keys of your wheelchair van for the first time, you’ll feel nothing but joy. Here are the six stages of buying a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

1. Confusion

What is the difference between an infloor and a foldout? Which one do I need? These vehicles look the same from the thumbnail. Why are their prices so much different? Why can’t this be simpler?

Relax: the first step in your shopping journey is an exciting one, but it also can lead to a lot of confusion as you start weeding through your options. One of the single greatest things you can do is to read reviews online. What are other owners saying? What helped them when they were in your shoes? Often, we hear that a BraunAbility team member was the single best resource for their many questions. Don’t be afraid to reach out with questions, even if they seem basic to you.

You can always start with our FAQ pages. It’s a great way to learn the basics.

2. Fear

Very quickly, your excitement at the prospect of a simpler way of getting around can be eclipsed by fear. These price tags have you doing some crazy mental math that soon leads to a mental fog from which you don’t know how to escape. Monthly payments? Vehicle service contracts? GAP insurance? This feels overwhelming.

BraunAbility Finance was created to help dissipate some of your brain fogginess. The team at BraunAbility Finance works with leading lenders to secure competitive rates and terms for our customers.

Banks and other traditional lenders didn’t understand how to value a conversion vehicle and therefore would frequently turn away mobility customers looking for financing help. BraunAbility Finance was created as a perfect marriage between finance experts and mobility customer advocates. The headaches of financing accessible vehicles and other mobility products are now a thing of the past.  

Learn more about the team here, find out if you are pre-approved for wheelchair van financing, download a copy of our financing and funding guide, and fear no more.

3. Denial

Some people never move past the fear of financing. Without using the resources available to them, they move straight into denial, deciding that they could adapt to their limited mobility without a wheelchair accessible vehicle. Whether aging into mobility restrictions or experiencing a new set of limitations because of an accident or a condition, some people will attempt to modify their own vehicle with rudimentary and dangerous solutions simply to be able to keep on the move.

BraunAbility understands the need for multiple price points for mobility products, which is why we offer an array of mobility solutions, from seating products to our top-of-the-line wheelchair accessible vehicles. Even within our handicap van options, you can choose from pre-owned to new on each of our tried-and-true conversions.

4. Acceptance

Once your options are laid out and irrelevant choices discarded, many customers enter the acceptance stage, where alternate options truly are not working any longer. Maybe it is a shoulder injury from transferring, or perhaps a string of weaker days. You begin to understand what a time and energy savings an accessible vehicle truly would be for you.

Now that you know what direction to head and who can help you get there, you are well on your way to feeling number five: anticipation.

5. Anticipation

You’ve seen the videos, you’ve read the reviews, and you’ve secured financing. Now anticipation sets in.

Converting an accessible vehicle generally takes 6 weeks. First, an unconverted vehicle is brought to our manufacturing facility. Once it is worked into the rotation, the process itself only takes about 3 days from start to finish. After final inspection, the vehicle is shipped back to the dealership and additional fitting takes place, like alternate wheelchair securement systems or hand controls. Finally, it is time.

6. Joy

After your rollercoaster of an emotional journey, it’s finally time to take home your pride and your joy. Get ready for easier days and stress-free mobility! Our customers tell us that even the chores of going to the grocery or the cleaners are now fun to complete with their BraunAbility vehicle. 98% of customers surveyed say they couldn’t imagine life without their BraunAbility wheelchair accessible vehicle.

And if you are somewhere on the emotional spectrum, reach out for help any time. We have experts on hand to answer your questions and eager to help you find your go – and your joy.