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 van for Malia
Getting a wheelchair accessible 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 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.
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.
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
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
It starts with one link and your story.
Start your fundraiser in three steps
You don't need fundraising experience. Tell your story, share it, and we handle the rest.
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.
Invite your people
Share with family, friends, church, school, and neighbors. They've been asking how they can help. This is the answer.
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.
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
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.
Honda Odyssey
A longtime family favorite known for comfort and reliability. Plenty of converted Odysseys on the market means more choices near you.
Chrysler Pacifica
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.
Kia Carnival
The newest option on the list, with a strong warranty and sharp styling. Conversions started recently, so used inventory is still limited.
Dodge Grand Caravan
Out of production since 2020, but used converted Grand Caravans are everywhere. The most affordable way into your first accessible van.
Ford Transit
For heavier power chairs, more riders, or extra equipment, the Transit offers room a minivan can't. Tall roof models add standing headroom.
Ram ProMaster
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.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
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.
Chevrolet Express
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
More ways SupportNow helps
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.