It is very easy to be wined and dined by the idea of buying what appears to be a wheelchair accessibility vehicle to enable a person to travel in their wheelchair, for the cost of around $25K – $30K, in the form of a Japanese-imports wheelchair vehicles such as the Toyota Noah, Toyota Voxy, Nissan Cube and even imported Toyota Hiace Commuters, however the sad reality is that these vehicles are NOT recommended (or LEGAL for wheelchair occupant travel) in Australia.
Unlike in Australia, these vehicles are not built and then modified, they are actually built with a lowered floor and ramp at the rear, and fitted with “wheelchair restraints”.
What you may know:
All vehicles in Australia must comply to the Australian Design Rules – a huge online public document, that outlines all the safety features required for vehicles to be legal in Australia: everything from seatbelts, seating, to lights, to noise and fuel emissions.
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/vehicles/vehicle-design-regulation/australian-design-rules
These Japanese vehicles are imported under the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme); when they come off the ship, they are inspected against the Federal against Australian Design Rules, and (if the overall vehicle is safe) stamped with a Federal compliance plate indicating that they meet the Australian Design Rules.
What you didn’t know:
The Australian Design Rules does not explain the requirements for safe wheelchair access or wheelchair occupant travel. They don’t even mention it. Not once.
So we have a vehicle that is federally compliant to be sold as a mainstream vehicle, – however this compliance DOES NOT include the wheelchair occupant travel.
But, these cars are sold to families to enable wheelchair occupant travel.
Compliance for wheelchair occupant travel
As the ADR does not explain the requirements for safe wheelchair occupant travel, the next level of governance are the multiple Australian Standards (which are in line with ISO standards) that outline safe and best practice. It is very important to understand that the Japanese standards DO NOT meet Australian Standards.
For a list of the Australian Standards that we reference in our assessment and vehicle application click here.
Each state licencing authority also has a Vehicle Standards Bulletin and codes related to mobility vehicle modifications, that must be inspected by an approved engineer and complianced. They will usually receive a plate attached to the car and triplicate documentation (that is kept by the modifier/engineer, kept by the client, and sent to the Transport department).
The key elements of Australian Standards for mobility vehicles include:
- Wheelchair restraints that are tested and compliant
- Access ramp – the gradient (or slope angle), load rating and configuration of the ramp
- Length of the wheelchair space available
- Clearance zones above head height, in front of head and behind head when tied-down and travelling
- Lap-sash inertia reel seatbelt is now considered best practice for all vehicle occupants.
- The wheelchair itself must be crash tested for wheelchair occupant travel, and have suitable tie-down points, a suitable backrest and headrest.
- It’s pretty impossible to attach the front restraints – the user has to be in position and then a carer has to reach down across them to the floor to attach that front-right restraint.
- The back wheels and restraints are attached to the MOVING platform lifter! The back restraints are not actually attached to the vehicle itself!
- The seatbelt is in the completely wrong place and does not sit over the user’s shoulder. It is also not an inertia-reel seatbelt – it is just flapping away in the breeze.
- To push the wheelchair user into the vehicle, the carer has to perch on the edge of the tailgate and then climb over the back ledge of the platform lifter – an accident waiting to happen.
There are a few other very pertinent points you need to consider about these imported vehicles:
- Are the instructions for the vehicle modifications available in English?
- Have the vehicle modifications been tested? How? To what extent? To what rating?
- Technical support/spare parts – What technical support and spare parts are available in Australia for the vehicle?
- Warranty on the vehicle and conversion? The sale of a used vehicle comes with a statutory 3-month warranty and that’s it. There is NO warranty on the conversion whatsoever.
- Ongoing support – What ongoing support are you going to receive for servicing and repair of the mobility conversion on the vehicle? Who is going to provide this – the car salesman? Probably not. Toyota? Probably not.
- If my state licencing authority inspects this vehicle, will it pass all of their compliance and be able to maintain legal registration on the road?
What car salesman will tell you:
They will tell you that the restraints can be replaced by a local vehicle modifier.
Technically, this is correct, however just replacing the restraints does not make the overall vehicle compliant. All of the other problems including the floor cut, the ramp, the under-body work, the seatbelt, the clearance zones (above head, in front of head and behind head) – will still be there.
Most vehicle modifiers will not be willing to replace the restraints in these vehicles, because if they do, then they will inherit all the other problems.
Bottom line
Car salesmen do not know about mobility, understand mobility issues, or probably even care. They’re just trying to sell you a car.
This is why experienced Occupational Therapists are part of the vehicle prescription process and are required to write a report for NDIS for funding to be considered.
Unless you are provided with Engineering certification regarding the compliance to Australian Standards, the vehicle is NOT legally registered as a wheelchair access vehicle. As an interesting aside here, NDIS are now expressly requiring an Engineering certificate and roadworthy for any of these import vehicles before they will even consider funding it.
Need help?
If you need help with vehicle modifications for community access and driving, you can refer to us here.
Brisbane OT driver assessors were recently provided the opportunity to practice driving with vehicle mods with Total Ability and our specialised driving instructors, at the RACQ Mobility Centre at Mount Cotton.
Driving OTs frequently work with clients with physical injuries, conditions and disabilities which may impact their ability to use conventional vehicle controls independently and may need modifications to enable them to drive. There are a multitude of driving modifications available, including various types of spinner knobs, hand controls, left foot accelerator pedals, through to higher level / advanced modifications such as the mini wheel and joystick steering, and driving from wheelchair.
Driving OTs are skilled at assessing clients’ functional abilities and work together with the client and a suitable driving instructor, to work out what driving modification will best suit the client and their situation. The driving OT will also guide the client on the process that is required for them and support them with applying for funding for driving lessons and funding of the modifications, guide them through the licensing process, and explaining the engineering and compliance process.
What we are not necessarily skilled at, is actually driving with the modifications themselves!
Having a professional development day offline, in the company of our friends and colleagues, in a safe and supported environment to practice driving with the various vehicle mods on a closed track (no traffic!) was just invaluable.
Myself, Zoe and Amanda were all able to attend and between us, we practiced driving with:
- Fadiel e-radial hand control and spinner knob
- Fadiel trigger hand control and Lodgesons lollipop spinner knob
- Basic push-pat mechanical hand control and spinner knob
- Left satellite accelerator and right brake lever
- Left satellite accelerator and left Fadiel easy drive brake (I didn’t think this would be do-able, but after a client demonstrated this with ease, I was up to the challenge and yes it certainly can be done!)
- Left mini-wheel advanced electronic steering and right two-way joystick (brake/accelerator) drive from wheelchair
- Left foot accelerator (for me, this is still the hardest way to drive – I am not coordinated with my feet at all)
- Four-way joystick (brake, accelerator and steering all-in-one) drive from wheelchair – I was not game to test this one out… kudos to the driving OTs that did.
Biggest takeaways for our team were:
- it was useful to remember the functional components required to drive with each of the modification types
- “unlearning” of our standard recommendation – the technology and techniques have advanced and grown, so our previous go-to (which still works) might not be the only option.
- There are so many options, that it is really up to what suits the client best, and that they may need several trials to settle on the right modification for them.
Sharing a huge congratulations again to Paul Crake and his team at Total Ability once again for their efforts which were rewarded at the May ATSA conference in Brisbane, with Paul taking out not one, but three awards for:
- Commitment to Excellence (shout out too to Ali Akbarian at Mobility Engineering – sponsor of the Drive-Able podcast
- 2024 Industry Person of the Year
- 2024 Supplier / Manufacturer of the year
Total Ability have dedicated time and resources to supporting the driving and disability industry and have developed several resources to assist clients and OTs understand the vehicle mods process.
For anyone needing vehicle modifications to return to driving, there will be an involved process that will likely include:
- OT driving assessment (including a clinical and practical on-road assessment; multiple trials may be necessary to find the best option)
- OT driving assessment report and recommendations for funding
- Driving lessons with the driving instructor to develop competency and safety – “is this consistent and reliable?”
- Applying for vehicle modifications funding (eg to the NDIS, NIISQ, i-Care, TAC, HCP)
- Completing an on-road re-assessment / handover assessment upon completion of the modifications, and a post-modification report.
Helping drivers return to driving or learn to drive with vehicle mods is one of our favourite things to do – that handover day to see a client driving away with their vehicle and regaining their independence, is absolutely magical to us.
If you need assistance with returning to driving, please check out our website or make a referral!
People with Motor Neurone Disease go through huge changes in their daily life, incredibly quickly. All of a sudden they are unable to stand up by themselves, walk to the bathroom, go out to the shops as they previously did. All of a sudden they are unable to do the things we take for granted every day.
One man I worked with recently had this same story.
The problem…
All of a sudden he was having black outs and couldn’t walk any more. He was quickly provided with a hire wheelchair to get him by until he could get a scripted power wheelchair more suitable to his needs. When I met him in September he was still transferring into a standard car, but I knew this could change really fast. It is so important to think about the future – for MND, things can keep changing really quickly and we need to plan for the worst case scenario, and any vehicle mods solution that we recommend needs to be safe, consistent and reliable, and sustainable. It also needs to meet the insurers “reasonable and necessary” requirements.
I explained the options to to this fellow and his family, and showed a few options on vehicle modifier websites.
The lowered floor conversion to a Kia Carnival is a really effective, popular, and affordable solution, and many Australians use this option. The other options that are also equally effective include the Hyundai Staria and Volkswagen Multivan.
The trial…
The Kia Carnival looked like the way to go in this case, so I quickly commenced the process of trialling and applying to NDIS for vehicle modifications to his Kia Carnival to enable him to transport in his power wheelchair.
The trial was at the client’s home, and allowed him the opportunity to drive up into the car in his electric crashtested wheelchair, see how the restraints work, and go for a test drive. It was all smooth sailing. I gathered all the paperwork needed (there is a lot), and submitted an application to the NDIS to have the modifications funded. The client is responsible for purchasing the actual car.
The approval…
By the end of February 2024, we received approval from NDIS to proceed with vehicle modifications. This is a pretty quick turn-around time in the NDIS world. But, within this time he had lost his ability to transfer into a standard car seat. By the time the approval came through, he’d been stuck at home for 2-3 months, unable to go anywhere over the Christmas period. His hire wheelchair was not suitable for transport, and he couldn’t transfer out of it. Imagine that – being stuck in your own home over Christmas, not being able to take your kids out to celebrate the school holidays, not able to go Christmas shopping, not being able to visit family.
So, the NDIS approval came through at the end of February. Blair and his team at KM Kite on the Gold Coast bent over backwards to schedule the modifications and make it happen as quickly as possible. A job that usually takes 6-8 weeks minimum, they got sorted in less than 4 weeks. They also managed to get him a hire car NDIS had approved funding for so he could transport in the meantime. By the end of March, he had his Kia Carnival with passenger modifications for wheelchair occupant travel.
The solution!
Have a look at the smile on his face!
Lowered floor Kia Carnival delivered with a big blue bow!
He was stoked he could finally, again: be a part of taking his kids to school, going to the shops, going out to watch the footy. All the activities we take for granted every day.
His story really highlights the need for supports to be quickly accessible for people with MND, and the need for increased awareness around the challenges they face.
Zoe Wagner-Jordan, OT Driver Assessor, Driving Well Occupational Therapy
Need to get out and about?
please get in touch or have a look at our website for more information!
"*" indicates required fields
- Resources
- Insights
- Forms
- Driver Focus App
Driving Well Occupational Therapy is a busy practice that provides OT driving assessment and vehicle modification services for people with medical conditions and injuries in Brisbane, Ipswich and northern Gold Coast. We service clients who are self-funding, NDIS and other compensable (WorkCover, NIISQ, TAC, iCare).
On behalf of the team at Driving Well Occupational Therapy and in the spirit of reconciliation, I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Turrbul and Yuggera country, where our team live and serve the majority of our clients, as well as to all Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to the land, sea and community. I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people today.
On behalf of the team at Driving Well Occupational Therapy and in the spirit of reconciliation, I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Turrbul and Yuggera country, where our team live and serve the majority of our clients, as well as to all Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to the land, sea and community. I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people today.
