Earlier this month, VMI was an exhibitor at the 94th Annual American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Conference and Expo in Baltimore. We introduced our new Northstar E wheelchair van and received great feedback from those in attendance.
After listening to the wants and needs of parents, professionals, spouses and other family members and friends of those in wheelchairs, we designed this mobility van specifically for caregivers. The new Northstar E wheelchair-accessible minivan offers front-seat wheelchair access and an in-floor, slide-out ramp. With all of the core elements of a helpful mobility vehicle, the Northstar E offers practicality, ease of use and other side-entry benefits at a rear-entry price.
Attending the AOTA conference 2014 gave us the chance to show all of these features to those who could actually benefit from them. Since our customers help shape our products, we wanted to receive feedback from the people who work closely with our customers (occupational therapists (OT), physical therapists (PT), driver evaluators, etc.) to see if we had created a van that meets their needs.
We asked the attendees of the conference to test out the ramp by sliding it in and out and then asked for their input. One OT who had a daughter with a disability said the ramp was “a lot easier than my lift on the back of my van.” Another OT with chronic back pain was afraid to try it, but she did, loved how easy it was to operate, and didn’t experience any extra pain. In addition to great reviews from the caregivers, a para-transit company owner loved the Northstar E wheelchair van so much, he even asked to buy it off of the expo floor.
To see the new VMI Northstar E in action at the AOTA conference 2014, view our recap of the event here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwGzspGRiUM
