Mobility aids give impaired drivers freedom

When most people think about a car adapted for a disabled driver, the picture of a big, bulky sedan or van comes to mind. Well, Ford looked to break that mold with its introduction in March of a Mobility Tuned Focus ZX3-a car with "street racer" performance and looks, as well as accessibility for people with impairments.

"The number of people with disabilities is increasing as the population ages," notes Jeff Pike, Ford senior technology specialist for vehicle interiors. "By 2050, one third of the population will be seniors," he adds. "And aging baby boomers have different expectations and are different consumers, requiring products that feel good and are stylish," compared to previous elders. In addition, young people with impairments don't want to be left out of the lifestyle, including driving sport compact cars, of their peers.

Platform for all. The basic Focus chosen by Ford for mobility enhancement was itself the result of ergonomic engineering to accommodate a wider range of drivers and passengers. Design engineers put on a so-called Third Age Suit, which simulated the effects of aging and disabilities to make them aware of impairments. The suit acted in three ways:

The result: Ford claims the Focus has more headroom and easier ingress and egress than other small cars. The larger radio and climate control knobs are also designed to be easier to locate and handle.

When the company looked to provide impaired drivers with greater access to the car-specifically seating-it turned to Bruno Independent Living Aids (Oconomowoc, WI), a provider of assistive devices, not just for automotive applications but for home stairway lifts and wheelchairs. Bill Belson, Bruno director of engineering, says, "The big challenge in automotive is to integrate seats as seamlessly as possible while retaining as much of the OEM equipment as possible, from trim levels to safety features. You want to put the person in the original envelope for seating, keeping the original H (for hip) point so airbag and safety-system functions are not compromised."

Bruno engineers started out using a Digitrac (North Augusta, SC) coordinate determining system to obtain the car's interior points and surfaces. This data feeds directly into SolidWorks for CAD modeling. On the Focus, the engineers were able to install an electrically driven Bruno seat that not only swivels 90 degrees but also moves outboard, over the doorsill. "The goal was a good location to sit on without having a person 'fall' into the vehicle" when transitioning from a walker or wheelchair, says Belson. Combined with the Focus' relatively wide door opening, "A person can sit in the seat and feel secure while putting a wheelchair or walker into the storage area behind the seat," notes Bruno Product Development Manager Dick Keller. The engineers were able to come up with a swiveling seat system that allows the owner to remove it for reuse in another vehicle when he or she goes to sell the car. The OEM seat can be readily reinstalled for the new owner.

Control with hands or feet. The Mobility Focus' hand throttle and brake control is supplied by Wells-Engberg (Rockford, IL). President Dale Engberg says the company was founded by his engineer father out of necessity because of his father's own impairments. Engberg notes the Focus underdash structure allowed easy installation of the company's standard hand control, which is linked by rods to the conventional brake and gas pedals. "Small vehicles, like the Focus, are very controllable with the hand controller since they are not as bulky as a larger car and have better response" to handling inputs, he notes. Interestingly, according to Engberg, 95% of hand control installations are on the left side of the steering column, whether the driver is right or left handed. He points out that this allows the driver's right hand to be free to work the shift lever, mounted either on the right side of the column or on the center console.

Ford's Pike says with such a universal design as the basic Focus, the company found out that features incorporated for groups such as the elderly and impaired were liked by everyone. These features aided not only those drivers but young drivers and first-time owners as well-people with less driving experience whose situational awareness is helped by features such as easy-to-read gauges and intuitive control. And many middle-age drivers enjoy the car, but cannot pinpoint why, unlike an elderly person driving it for the first time. "And no one objected to the car being too 'easy' or too 'soft'," Pike says, even with the wide range of people it was designed to accommodate.

Part of Ford's effort in enhancing mobility for impaired people was developed in concert with the Louisiana Tech Center for Rehabilitation Science and Biomedical Research. The center also provides information about transportation for the elderly and disabled, and offers driver assessment, education, and adaptive device prescriptions, as well as consultation and publications. Visit www.crsbe.latech.edu for more information. To find out about Ford's Mobility Motoring program, which includes help in selecting mobility aids and financial assistance, go to www.ford.com/mobilitymotoring.