Recumbent Trike as Legal Wheelchair?

[PeteCress]

Have you ever heard of a disabled person getting their e-assisted recumbent trike legally classified as a wheelchair?

I am thinking in terms of protection under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

 

[john61ct]

Never heard of that pertaining to classifying the equipment legally.

I think so long as there is evidence the **person** is mobility impaired, whatever equipment they use needs to de facto be accommodated.

For this to actually create a court case situation would I'd hope require extremely dickish behaviour and conflict attitude on either side likely both.

 

[spinningmagnets]

I plan on making a couple of electric wheelchair/ebike hybrids.

We'll see how it goes...

 

[dogman dan]

Yeah, I think its really the rider that needs to qualify, not the vehicle per se. You got a handicap placard for your car? Carry the paper that came with it.

When Jason started up with his Liberty Trike, intended for mobility challenged people to be able to go where their powered chairs cant go, he never got any kind of wheelchair certification for it. I cant recall anybody getting told they could not ride it in the grocery store, etc. Asking nicely where you go helps a LOT.

Of course, you will run into a dick somewhere, eventually.

 

[TNC]

Never heard of that pertaining to classifying the equipment legally.

I think so long as there is evidence the **person** is mobility impaired, whatever equipment they use needs to de facto be accommodated.

For this to actually create a court case situation would I'd hope require extremely dickish behaviour and conflict attitude on either side likely both.

That's a good point, but you always will encounter the turd who abuses a well intentioned accommodation for their selfish and/or ridiculous behavior...like the guy with an emotional support peacock trying to board an airliner. Those outlandish incidents can be handled on a case by case basis, but it's a shame that it complicates those cases with real need.

 

[john61ct]

Also those Karens / Kevins that assume the disabled person is abusing the requirement for accommodation or just jealous, calling the authorities

 

[Grantmac]

I'm assuming this is to allow use in areas that prohibit ebikes? If so I'd want to be sure the person truly requires the accommodation.

 

[AF7JA]

Here is a DOJ document that may help. In the past, the line, "designed primarily for use by an individual with a mobility disability for the main purpose of indoor or of both indoor and outdoor locomotion," was a problem, but they seem to have revised the guideline.

I would recommend reading the linked document.

 

[2old]

I don't have a dog in the race, but AFAIK (at least in CA) you are not allowed to ask an individual, with a disability "sticker" or whatever, the nature of their disability. I have two friends with them, and they've never been challenged even though the nature of their disability isn't evident (and they're physically able IMO after riding with them on MTB's for many years before they went to e-MTB's). They're just slower than their co-riders and want to be able to keep up. I'm hypocritical about enough things neither to judge nor care.

 

[PeteCress]

Sweet!

Thanks.

 

[nicobie]

I plan on making a couple of electric wheelchair/ebike hybrids.

We'll see how it goes...

That sounds interesting. Please post pics of your progress. A good design and clean build I could see as having commercial possibilities.

 

[PeteCress]

I plan on making a couple of electric wheelchair/ebike hybrids.

That is pretty much how I use me ICE Adventure HD.

If I were building one from scratch, a big consideration would be minimizing wheelbase and turning radius.