Rhoad is supported by BraunAbility, and his local mobility dealer, MobilityWorks, in Marietta, GA. When you purchase a mobility product from BraunAbility, you join a powerful community.
Driving down the road, most motorists are familiar with the sight of a “Student Driver” sticker, a visible reminder that the person behind the wheel is still learning. For Brett Rhoad, the transition from being a student driver to a licensed driver was both exciting and nerve-wracking.
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Learning to Drive With a Disability
Describing driving his BraunAbility Chrysler Pacifica for the first time, Rhoad said, “Not gonna lie, I was a bit nervous. I’d had plenty of training. I’d gone through the whole process of getting adaptive equipment, but there were always two things during driver training: Someone else was in the car, and they had a brake if anything got crazy.”
Rhoad worked with a certified driver rehabilitation specialist to find vehicle adaptations that would allow him to drive. Rhoad has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and is a full-time power wheelchair user. He uses a joystick to navigate his power wheelchair, and similar technology allows him to operate his vehicle. Rhoad uses Electronic Mobility Controls. A joystick allows him to accelerate, brake and steer the vehicle, while a combination of a touchscreen and buttons allows him to control functions such as gear shifting, turn signals and the horn.
Converting a Wheelchair Van
Rather than purchasing a vehicle that was already wheelchair accessible, Rhoad started with a standard Chrysler Pacifica and had it converted to meet his needs. The vehicle was outfitted with a BraunAbility wheelchair ramp, adaptive driving controls and a wheelchair securement system for his power wheelchair before being delivered to his local mobility dealer, MobilityWorks.
Interestingly, Rhoad’s brother also had a vehicle converted to be wheelchair accessible, and the two have similar taste in vehicles. Both brothers have the same disability, use the same adaptive driving setups and each own a BraunAbility Chrysler Pacifica. In fact, their vans’ serial numbers are just one digit apart. Rhoad’s van is gray, while his brother’s is burgundy.
Getting a Wheelchair Van Through Vocational Rehabilitation
Rhoad teaches English as a second language, or ESL, to elementary school students, and because he is employed, he was able to qualify for services through his state’s vocational rehabilitation program. Vocational rehabilitation often covers a portion of vehicle adaptation costs for individuals with disabilities who need accessible transportation to get to and from work. With his vehicle, Rhoad is not only able to work, but he also enjoys occasional trips around town.
He said, “It’s a great vehicle that allows me to get in and go everywhere I need to go. It makes it easier to get to and from work. I’ve been able to go to Dreher Island State Park. I can have a friend or two hop in the car with me and we can go wherever we want to go.”
The Impact of a Wheelchair Van
Rhoad has used BraunAbility vehicles for many years, but during his childhood, his family didn’t have an accessible van for a while, which made transportation challenging.
“Not until I was probably 12 or 13 did it get harder to get into a vehicle. Not having an accessible vehicle was a challenge because with certain vehicles, it was very hard to get in without help. There were a couple of times I actually fell out of the vehicle while getting out. I also couldn’t bring mobility aids with me because the vehicle could not accommodate them,” he said.
Over the years, he began to use BraunAbility vehicles.
He said, “We’ve had adaptive vehicles before. We had one where the ramp folded out of the back, and we had another van that we could get in and out of that we used for years before my brother and I could drive on our own.”
Finding Confidence Behind the Wheel
The nerves Rhoad once felt about getting behind the wheel have been replaced with confidence as he now drives his wheelchair van with ease.
Whether he’s driving to and from work, stopping at local coffee shops, running weekly errands or visiting the movie theater with his girlfriend, it’s hard to believe he was once nervous about getting behind the wheel.
When asked what he would like to share with others who are considering purchasing an accessible vehicle, Rhoad said, “If they can make it work, go for it, especially for any kind of vehicle designed for a handicapped person. Whether it’s just for them to be able to get in and ride with someone else or to drive. As we all know in America, we have to drive quite a lot, so it’s really important to have a vehicle, and if you can have a vehicle that somebody in a wheelchair can comfortably ride in, it can be a great benefit and make things more accessible to them.”
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