Your mobility is priceless. But that doesn’t mean your ride should be, too. These five must-know funding resources offer financial assistance to help reduce the cost of electric wheelchairs, wheelchair power lifts or wheelchair accessible vans.
Veterans with a disability related to service (service-connected disability) may be eligible for a one-time payment up to $21,058.69 for an accessible automobile or grants for adaptive equipment like a power lift. At least one of these must apply:
- Loss, or permanent loss of use, of 1 or both feet, or
- Loss, or permanent loss of use, of 1 or both hands, or
- Permanent decreased vision in both eyes: 20/200 vision or less in your better eye with glasses, or greater than 20/200 vision but with a visual field defect that has reduced your peripheral vision to 20 degrees or less in your better eye, or
- A severe burn injury, or
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or
- Ankylosis in 1 or both knees or hips (Note: This qualifies you for an adaptive-equipment grant only)
To learn more about these benefits, visit VA Benefits here.
Vocational Rehabilitation, also known as VR, is a federal-state agency that assists people with disabilities in getting or keeping a job. For Mariano Lebron, a new electric wheelchair made all the difference and allowed him to remain at a job he enjoyed and excelled at. To inquire if VR may be able to help you, email ombudsman@vr.fldoe.org or call the numbers below.
Leon County Office
4070 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-7016
Director: Allison Flanagan
(800) 451-4327
(850) 245-3399
Alachua, Bradford County Office
2627 N.W. 43 St., Suite 201
Gainesville 32606
Phone: 352-955-3200
Fax: 352-955-3223
If grants are not possible, you still have resources at your disposal. Eleven car manufacturers offer rebates on a variety of driver and passenger vehicle conversions like rear handicap chair lifts. For details, visit The Mobility Resource’s list of Adaptive Equipment Rebate programs here.
FAAST, Inc.’s New Horizon Loan Program offers loans with reasonable interest rates to Floridians with disabilities for assisted technology. This program also offers flexible terms and no prepayment penalties. Learn more here.
820 E Park Ave, D-200
Tallahassee, FL 32301
info@faastinc.com
The Advanced Driving team is here to help you find the right wheelchair van for your needs. With locations in Tallahassee and Gainesville, Florida, Advanced Driving Systems serves South Georgia, North Florida and Panama City. View our Tallahassee wheelchair van, minivan and truck inventory here.
