Transportation When Your Vehicle Isn’t Accessible

It seemed as if overnight our daughter needed a wheelchair. She was able to walk for the first part of her life. Her diagnosis was unknown and rare it never had a name we had no idea of a prognosis or outcome. We had no idea she would suddenly lose the ability to walk or that she would one day need a wheelchair. This made it impossible to plan financially for all the things she would need to make her environment accessible.

There are options when your child needs a ride to their healthcare appointments. Of course, these options come with a price tag. It will depend on what you can spend.

One option would be to modify your vehicle for a wheelchair. There are companies that do it. But not all cars can be modified.

Another option is to buy an accessible van. These are expensive. But sometimes you can find used ones that are much more affordable and have many options. Local used car listings may have accessible vehicles for sale.

Some health insurance will assist with transportation. Call the contact number on the back of your card and ask.

Medicaid has transportation services. There should be a phone number specifically for transportation on the back of the Medicaid card. When you call, explain that you need help finding accessible transportation to take your child to their medical appointments.  Many cities offer affordable accessible transportation to the public. There are also private companies that provide this, but it will be more expensive.

I know transportation is important for our children but challenging to find. These suggestions will hopefully give you a start!

Also, visit Transportation Services for Children with Disabilities for more information.