Hand controls

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I have a Mercedes-Benz Vito 110CDI van which has been specially

adapted for me, taking EDS into consideration...

I tried the ordinary hand controls which I saw somebody posted links

to, but I had no chance of using those. My arms and hands are not

anywhere near well enough for using such controls, they were too hard

to use. And my shoulders are really not that bad at all compared to

many EDS'ers...

So in order to show something of what I ended up with, I am pasting

some links from the company which did my car, Handpro / Van-Service

here in Norway...

I have the following electronic gas-brake system (gas/speed

backwards, brake forwards, my wheelchairs are programmed the same

way):

http://www.handpro.no/vanservice/u_gassbr.html

I have the mini steering wheel too, since they meant that an ordinary

steering wheel would be too much strain on the joints:

http://www.handpro.no/vanservice/u_mratt.html

When I use the steering wheel, my arm rests comfortably on the arm

rest. On that picture you can also see another option for the

gas-brake system, it is an easy thingie you lay your hand in and

easily pull back or push forward. We have wondered about changing to

this on my joystick, instead of the ball. It is an easy change to do.

You can also see the different panels on this picture. In my car all

things that can be on the switch panel, has been put on it. I never

have to stretch up to the dashboard to reach things. When I drive, I

also don't have the ordinary steering wheel in place, it pops off and

on easily if others are driving my car or if I want to drive it the

normal way (I do vary a bit).

A picture showing the switch boards. I have a little one over the

joystick, so I can manage different important things while having

both hands occupied with steering and gas/breaks. Other functions are

on a big one to the right of me (yes, my car does look a bit like a

cockpit...)...

http://www.handpro.no/vanservice/u_bryter.html

I also control the gears with an electronic switch panel:

http://www.handpro.no/vanservice/u_elgir.html

I also have electrical powered sun screens, which I operate by

switches on the little switch panel over the joystick:

http://www.handpro.no/vanservice/u_annet.html

I have a 6-way seat base, but mine swings to the right side, because

my wheelchair is in the back of the car:

http://www.handpro.no/vanservice/u_seteu.html

I also have a Braun UVL lift which goes out at the side of the car.

This permits you to have a full back seat, which is nice to have if

you need a rest. My back seat also folds down/reclines, so it becomes

a bed if you need that. The car itself is here, but with a different

lift:

http://www.handpro.no/

My lift is here, the one at the bottom of the page. Mine does fully

integrate into the floor of the car, and does not have any rails or

anything like that. It does not take up any space in the car, and the

car floor is totally flat, making it easy for the wheelchair and also

to clean. They flattened out the floor, so that it is even all the

way up to the pedals, and put non-skid linoleum on. The back seat

sits far back, so that the car has lots of space between the back and

the front seats, almost as in a limo, I guess. My front seat is a

very nice Recaro seat. The car also has things like an electric

fastening system for the power chair (I prefer good straps though, to

be honest)... I am sure that I have forgotten something the car has

now, they did a lot with it...

http://www.braunlift.com/commercial/UVL/UVL.htm

But, it is not easy to do such an extensive adaptation of a van if

you don't have the social security system we have here in Norway.

They cover such adaptation in full, and cover a lot of the car itself

too, for some the whole car, depends on what your income is...

Aase Marit