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Wheelchair Tie-Down Procedures

Despite their personal tenacity, many in wheelchairs still need some assistance in enjoying the mobility and transport most take for granted. In providing public transportation services to these individuals, safety measures are needed to prevent that chair from becoming a hazard to its occupant. Wheelchair tie-down systems are designed precisely to that end.

  1. Needs for Tie-Down Systems

    • In 1990, the United States began enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act. Part of this legislation ensured that all people, especially those disabled folks using wheelchairs, had the same recourse to public transportation as other citizens. In keeping with this oversight, law also requires that the proper systems are in place to make that transit safe each and every time. Tie-down systems are designed exactly for that purpose.

    Communication Protocols

    • Those driving vans or other vehicles equipped with tie-down systems usually have to follow basic communication guidelines. This includes contacting dispatchers or other personnel found within the driver's respective agency or parent organization. If the driver/operator encounters any mechanical difficulty with the system, they should call that problem in. In some cases, operators are required to call in every time that they are securing an individual and their chair inside the vehicle.

    Equipment

    • The three most essential pieces of equipment used in tie-down systems are "belts, clamps and straps." Clamps, for example, may be used to lock in the wheels of the chair themselves despite the fact that most wheelchairs provide their own locks. The belts and straps can be employed not only to further secure the person in the seat of the chair, but to affix that chair to other stationary, sound elements of the vehicle's interior. Depending upon the design or model of the vehicle, those safety devices may be located specifically in the front or rear of the passenger cabin.

    Other Services

    • Vehicle operators, depending on location and context, may answer to more expectations. If the person in the wheelchair asks for help during the process of embarking or disembarking, the attendant should jump in and do so. An operator is often assumed to be available for those people suffering from other disabilities that result in impaired mobility. In other words, vehicles with tie-down systems are ultimately not just for wheelchairs, but an extension of greater community support for those in physical need.

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