Guide to Quality Assurance for Disability-Adapted Vehicle Manufacturers

Companies that sell disability vans and other handicapped vehicle services increase the mobility and independence of disabled persons. Whether a disability-adapted vehicle manufacturer modifies a single car, van, truck or an entire fleet of vehicles, it is expected to maintain the highest level of quality assurance, utilize continuous quality control practices and adhere to the most current legal regulations covering handicapped van manufacturers and handicapped bus manufacturers.

If you're a handicapped vehicle manufacturer, you can ensure your company is committed to and produces the highest caliber of disability vehicles by starting with these steps:
 

1. Comply with all federal laws for handicapped vehicles.
2. Learn about and qualify for national quality control programs for wheelchair accessible vehicles.
3. Follow best practices and accepted vehicle modification methods for wheelchair lifts and other vehicle conversion systems for disabled persons.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Follow federal guidelines and safety regulations when building disability vehicles

The U.S. federal government has established minimum safety standards and modification regulations for disability-adaptive vehicle manufacturers.

I recommend: Understand the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Make Inoperative Prohibition that governs how much you can alter stock cars or vans to make handicapped accessible vehicles, for instance by increasing the weight with wheelchair lifts.  The U.S. Department of Transportation also has minimum Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), which all structural vehicle modification businesses must meet.

Participate in respected quality programs for handicapped vehicles

Quality drives a successful business. Altering vehicles to fit them with adaptive equipment for the disabled demands rigorous quality assurance.

I recommend: The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) offers a comprehensive nationwide quality assurance program for structural vehicle modification companies. Adaptive equipment professionals can broaden their knowledge and education through the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED) information and training programs.

Benchmark against successful handicapped vehicle manufacturers

There is no reason to reinvent the wheel when there are companies that are leaders in retrofitting vans and cars for adaptation to handicapped drivers. If your business is a start-up, or you are striving to improve the handicapped vehicle services your business offers, take a chapter from some of the industry-leading disability-adapted vehicle manufacturers.

I recommend: Find reputable handicapped van manufacturers and handicapped bus manufacturers in your state that qualified for  NMEDA's Quality Assurance Program. Strong expertise in wheelchair-accessible vehicles can be found at Liberty Motor Company and Advanced Vehicle Modifications. The National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering and  the Technological Research and Development Authority are examples of novel ideas in vehicle adaptation for the disabled.

The official source of Quality Assurance for Disability-Adapted Vehicle Manufacturers is
the Disability-Adapted Vehicle Manufacturers page at Business.com