Everyday Life with a Wheelchair Van: Dawn Crawford's Story

CUSTOMER STORY

Everyday Life with a Wheelchair Van: Dawn Crawford’s Story

“The van provides complete independence, just like any other able-bodied person would have.”

Outside Dawn Crawford’s newly purchased Florida home, you’ll find her wheelchair van—a BraunAbility Toyota Sienna hybrid with a foldout ramp. It’s a familiar setup for Crawford, who’s been using accessible vehicles since shortly after her spinal cord injury.

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Toyota Sienna wheelchair van customer review

Dawn Crawford, from Indiana

I don't have to wait on anybody to take me somewhere. I can get in my van and go wherever I need to go.

Dawn Crawford, from Indiana

Dawn Crawford, from Indiana

I go up the ramp, then I transfer to the seat and spin it around. The hand controls that let me drive the vehicle.

Dawn Crawford, from Indiana

Life with a Wheelchair Van

Crawford’s van supports her three main passions: pickleball, travel, and peer mentoring.

An avid pickleball player, Crawford drives with her sports wheelchair and pickleball equipment to local courts multiple times a week. In fact, she has even competed in the U.S. Open Pickleball Tournament.

Pickleball is one of the only sports that allows hybrid play in sanctioned tournaments, meaning wheelchair athletes and standing players can team up or compete against each other. In 2024, Crawford won Silver in the wheelchair division at the U.S. Open Pickleball tournament in Naples, Florida, alongside fellow wheelchair pickleball athlete, Jody Davis. Plus, Crawford has even played alongside her sons in mixed division matches, making the sport not just competitive, but deeply personal.

Off the court, Crawford enjoys traveling. Last year she took a three-week road trip in her van to visit multiple national parks. “It was great to be able to get in and out easily, see the different sites, and to travel comfortably. It all worked out great,” she said.

Her itinerary included the Badlands, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Canyonlands. She also visited Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Crawford described her van saying “It's easy to transport your sports items or any other luggage. It provides a lot of room and convenience.”

A Spinal Cord Injury and Wheelchair Vans

Crawford sustained her spinal cord injury when she fell in a home that was under construction. Basement stairs had not yet been installed, and after stepping on foam floor insulation, she fell ten feet into the basement, breaking her back at the T11-12 level.

“That accident put me in a wheelchair. I'm a paraplegic, so from the hips down I don't have any voluntary movement”, she said.

After her injury, Crawford went through rehabilitation at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, known today as the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. Luckily, she was able to get behind the wheel in an accessible vehicle relatively quickly.

“I got an accessible vehicle within a couple weeks of getting out of the hospital after my injury. So, it was just a matter of getting the vehicle and learning how to drive with hand controls,” she said.

Vocational Rehabilitation connected Crawford with a Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS), a healthcare professional with a background in occupational therapy who specializes in helping individuals with mobility challenges learn to drive using adaptive equipment.

Initially, Crawford drove a full-size Ford van with a ramp, but she soon made the switch to minivans, finding them more convenient for her day-to-day needs.

At the time of her injury, Crawford’s sons were young— just one and five years old. She described the importance of having a wheelchair accessible vehicle, saying, “Being able to get in the van and strap [my kids] in their car seat and booster…it was total independence. I was able to get my independence back and get my kids back and forth to school and activities, which I was very thankful for.”

Even though Crawford’s sons are now grown and living on their own, she remains loyal to the minivan style due to its overall convenience.

An accessible van is convenient; it's easy. It helps so we don't strain our shoulders by lifting our chair in and out of a car.

- Dawn Crawford

The Toyota Sienna and Vehicle Modifications

Crawford’s current van includes hand controls and a transfer seat that allows her to get from her wheelchair into position to drive. “I go up the ramp, then I transfer to the seat and spin it around. The hand controls that let me drive the vehicle,” she said.

The Toyota Sienna’s trunk space was another factor in her purchase decision. “The Toyota seems to have a little more room in the trunk, so that was another selling point for me,” she said.

Supporting Others with Disabilities

Outside of playing pickleball and traveling, Crawford enjoys connecting with others who have disabilities. An Indiana native, she occasionally drives West of the state to Illinois to mentor at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab.

Through the Henry B. Betts Life Center’s peer mentorship program, she shares her experiences with current patients, fostering empathy and informed decision-making. Since moving to Florida, Crawford has continued providing mentorship virtually to patients.

The Impact of a Wheelchair Van

Crawford’s van has remained a central part of her daily life.

“I don't have to wait on anybody to take me somewhere. I can get in my van and go wherever I need to go…the grocery store, the gym, the pickleball courts, travel. The van provides complete independence, just like any other able-bodied person would have,” she said.

Crawford’s advice for those considering purchasing a wheelchair accessible vehicle is clear. “An accessible van is convenient; it's easy. It helps so we don't strain our shoulders by lifting our chair in and out of a car”, she said.

From daily errands to road trips, and pickleball practice and competitions, Crawford’s wheelchair van supports her busy lifestyle. If you’re interested in purchasing a BraunAbility Toyota Sienna hybrid, or another wheelchair accessible vehicle or mobility product, contact your local mobility dealer.

Crawford is supported by BraunAbility and her local mobility dealer, MobilityWorks, in Merrillville, IN. When you purchase a mobility product from BraunAbility, you join a powerful community.

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