Cover the cost of your wheelchair accessible van.

A wheelchair accessible van often costs $70,000 to $90,000, and insurance almost never covers it. Start a fundraiser, share it with the people who know your family, and put every dollar toward your van.

Free to start. Every dollar you raise goes to your family.

A family celebrates picking up their new wheelchair accessible van, one child in a power wheelchair

A van for Malia

Kailua, HI
$21,340 raised of $45,000
183 supporters
Update from Malia's mom: Her new power chair is here. Now we need a van that can carry it. Thank you all!
Funds go directly to your family
Set up in about 10 minutes
$70k+
what a new accessible van often costs
$0
what insurance usually pays toward it
10 min
to set up your fundraiser and share it
Yours
every dollar raised goes to your family
Watch

Getting a wheelchair accessible van

Why families need a van

A wheelchair accessible van is not a nicer car. It is how your family gets through the day.

These are the most common reasons families start a van fundraiser. If one of them is yours, you are in the right place.

The lifting is catching up with you

Your child is growing. Lifting them in and out of the car hurts your back and wears you down, every single trip.

A new chair that won't fit

Power wheelchairs weigh 300 pounds or more, and they don't fold into a trunk. A new chair often means a new vehicle.

Appointments run your week

Therapy, specialists, school. When every trip is a struggle, you start skipping the ones that feel optional. None of them are.

Transfers in a rainy parking lot

Weather, traffic, tight parking spots. What's a minor hassle for other families is a safety risk for yours.

Independence is on the horizon

Your teen or adult child is ready for a job, college, and a life of their own. The right van, with the right controls, makes it possible.

You've stopped going places

Birthday parties, church, the beach. When leaving the house is this hard, the world quietly shrinks. It shouldn't have to.

A man in a power wheelchair boards an accessible minivan using its side entry ramp

A ramp changes the whole routine. Roll in, lock down, go.

Whatever your reason, the hardest part is paying for it. That is the part we help with.

The invitation

Friends and family want to participate in your family's story.

The people who love your family see how hard you work, and they are looking for a way to show up. Your fundraiser gives them one. Every gift is someone saying they are in it with you.

How it can feel

Like asking for help

  • Admitting you can't do it on your own
  • Asking friends and family for money
  • Feeling like you owe everyone who gives
  • Being the family that needed charity
What it really is

An invitation to be part of something

  • Sharing what your family is working toward
  • Giving people who already care a real way to show up
  • Letting your community claim a piece of the win
  • Being the family whose story people are proud to be part of
People want to be part of something that matters. Think about the last time someone you love let you help them. It didn't feel like a burden. It felt like trust. Your fundraiser hands that feeling to everyone who gives, and the van becomes something your whole community built together. Every school run, every appointment, every trip to the beach carries a little bit of all of them.
Start Fundraising →

It starts with one link and your story.

How it works

Start your fundraiser in three steps

You don't need fundraising experience. Tell your story, share it, and we handle the rest.

1

Tell your story

Set up your fundraiser in about 10 minutes. Share why your family needs a van and what it will change. We'll guide you with prompts and examples.

2

Invite your people

Share with family, friends, church, school, and neighbors. They've been asking how they can help. This is the answer.

3

Get your van

Funds go directly to your family as they come in. Use them for the van, the conversion, or the down payment. You decide.

Know your options

Know your van options before you set your goal

Accessible vans range from a $3,000 seat modification to a $100,000 new conversion. Pick the option that fits your family, then set your fundraising goal around it.

Side-entry minivan

Most flexible

A ramp folds out of the sliding door. Your rider can sit up front, sit mid-cabin, or drive. The most popular choice, and usually the most expensive.

New: often $70,000 to $100,000+  van + conversion

Rear-entry minivan

Budget-friendlier

The ramp comes out the back. You give up some seating flexibility, but it parks anywhere, handles tight spots, and typically costs $10,000 to $20,000 less than side entry.

New: often $55,000 to $80,000  van + conversion

Used accessible van

Best value

Certified pre-owned converted vans can cut the price dramatically. A trusted mobility dealer will inspect the conversion, not just the vehicle.

Typically $25,000 to $60,000  age and miles vary

Convert the van you own

Keep your vehicle

Some newer minivans can be converted after purchase. If your van qualifies (most converters want newer models with lower mileage), you only fundraise for the conversion.

Conversion: often $15,000 to $35,000

Full-size van with a lift

Bigger riders and gear

For adult riders, heavier power chairs, or families hauling lots of equipment, a full-size van with a platform lift offers headroom and payload a minivan can't.

Varies widely; lift alone $5,000 to $15,000

Transfer seats and hand controls

Riders who can transfer

If your rider can transfer from their chair, a rotating transfer seat or hand controls might solve the problem without a full conversion.

Often $3,000 to $10,000 installed

Prices are typical U.S. ranges to help you set a goal. Your local mobility dealer can quote your exact situation. Many families rent an accessible van for about $100 to $200 per day while they raise.

Makes and models

The vans families choose most

Almost every accessible van starts as one of these. A conversion company lowers the floor, adds the ramp, and sells the finished van. Here is how the popular choices compare.

Toyota Sienna minivan

Toyota Sienna

Side or rear entryHybrid

Every new Sienna is a hybrid, so you spend less on gas for every appointment and school run. The most popular platform for new conversions.

New: often $75,000 to $105,000
Honda Odyssey minivan

Honda Odyssey

Side entry

A longtime family favorite known for comfort and reliability. Plenty of converted Odysseys on the market means more choices near you.

New: often $70,000 to $100,000
Chrysler Pacifica minivan

Chrysler Pacifica

Side or rear entry

Often the lowest price for a brand new conversion. One catch: the plug-in hybrid Pacifica can't be converted, so stick with the gas version.

New: often $65,000 to $95,000
Kia Carnival minivan

Kia Carnival

Side entryNewest platform

The newest option on the list, with a strong warranty and sharp styling. Conversions started recently, so used inventory is still limited.

New: often $70,000 to $95,000
Dodge Grand Caravan with a BraunAbility Entervan conversion

Dodge Grand Caravan

Used onlyBudget pick

Out of production since 2020, but used converted Grand Caravans are everywhere. The most affordable way into your first accessible van.

Used: often $20,000 to $50,000
Ford Transit full-size van

Ford Transit

Full sizeLift, not ramp

For heavier power chairs, more riders, or extra equipment, the Transit offers room a minivan can't. Tall roof models add standing headroom.

Converted: often $60,000 to $95,000
Ram ProMaster full-size van

Ram ProMaster

Full sizeRamp friendly

The lowest floor of the big vans, so some conversions use a ramp instead of a lift. The wide body leaves real turning room for a power chair inside.

Converted: often $60,000 to $90,000
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter full-size van

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Full sizeMost headroom

Tall enough for many adults to stand inside, with space for the chair, the family, and all the gear. The premium pick, and priced like it.

Converted: often $90,000 to $140,000
Chevrolet Express full-size van

Chevrolet Express

Full sizeUsed workhorse

A simple, proven van with a deep used market. A used Express with a lift is often the cheapest way to move a heavy power chair and the whole family.

Used with lift: often $25,000 to $60,000

Conversion companies such as BraunAbility, VMI, and Freedom Motors build the wheelchair accessible part. The same van can feel very different depending on the converter, so test the exact van you plan to buy.

Van photos via Wikimedia Commons by John Robert McPherson, Kevauto, Mr.choppers, MercurySable99, Vauxford, Elise240SX, and Bull-Doser (CC BY-SA and public domain). Model photos are for reference.

The part nobody tells you

How families actually pay for a van

Most families are shocked twice: first by the price, then by how little help exists. Here's the honest picture.

Fundraising stacks with everything else. Grants, waivers, and rebates each chip away at the cost, but they're slow, capped, and rarely cover it all. A fundraiser fills the gap they leave, and nothing you raise disqualifies you from applying.
The hard truth

Where the usual help falls short

  • Health insurance almost never covers vehicles or vehicle modifications
  • Medicaid waivers vary by state and often exclude the vehicle itself
  • Nonprofit grants are real but small. Waitlists are long, and awards are often $5,000 or less
  • Manufacturer rebates help ($1,000 or so) but barely dent the total
The good news

Where families actually find the money

  • Community fundraising is the single biggest source for most families
  • State vocational rehab may help when the van supports work or school
  • Grants plus your fundraiser stack together, so use every source you can
  • Going used or rear-entry can cut your goal nearly in half
Why trust us

Built for families, not fine print

Accessible Vans is part of SupportNow, the Official Family Support Platform. We help families rally support through life's hardest moments. Getting your family moving again is exactly that. Starting a fundraiser is free, and the money raised belongs to you.

Start Fundraising →

The money is yours

Funds go to your family as they come in. No waiting to hit your goal.

Fast to launch

Set up in about 10 minutes with story prompts written for van fundraisers.

Easy for supporters

One link to share. Updates keep everyone cheering as you get closer.

Private by default

You choose what to share about your child and your story. Always.

Ready to cover the cost of your van?

Set up takes about 10 minutes. Share one link, and the people who care about your family can start giving today.

Free to start. Keep what you raise, even if you don't reach your goal.