hand controls are a piece of cake   Owning a car and driving for fun is a unique, American experience.  In the last three decades, the one-car garage has become the two-car garage, which has transformed into the three-car garage.  In light of the central role of the automobile, it is no wonder that driving plays a pivotal role in promoting independence for people with disabilities.   People without disabilities often wonder how folks with limited function in their legs drive a vehicle.  If a driver doesn’t use his or her feet to drive, they use their hands.  Commonly referred to as ‘hand controls,’ the adaptive equipment used to operate the gas and brake pedals of a vehicle allows for an invaluable independence, sans the local public transportation system.   This article does not provide information on the entire line of hand controls available (single lever, multi-lever, push-button, slot machine handle, etc.), but it does cover the most popular systems on the market.

The Mechanics         Hand controls are simple to use, but they are a pain in the rear axle to install.  Therefore it is imperative that anyone who purchases a set of hand controls has them installed by an authorized dealer or mechanic.  Besides, you don’t want your hand controls to fall into your lap when you hit the brakes.   There are a variety of hand controls on the market.  Some hand controls, like the SuperGrade IV pictured here, come with an optional mounting bracket that allows the user or installer to adjust the controls so they can be transferred from one vehicle to another.  However, you should know that most hand control devices may require some cutting of the underside of the dashboard for proper placement.    For instance, a 2002 Ford Ranger Edge had to have a part of its ‘under dash’ sliced for the placement of hand controls.  When the owner sold the vehicle and had the hand controls removed and placed on the new vehicle, he simply went out and purchased a new ‘under side’ for $60.    Now for the whammy: hand controls cost anywhere from $500 to $800, depending on the options chosen.  When you add another $200 for installation, the whole ordeal can cost an arm and a leg.  However, when purchasing a new car, most automotive manufacturers offer incentive programs wherein they offer up to $1000 for the installation of assistive devices, which includes hand controls.  Also, state rehabilitation agencies (every state has one) have been known to foot the bill for hand controls and hand control installation.

How They Work   First, you must have an automatic transmission for hand controls to be of use.  Tightened to the steering column underneath the steering wheel of the vehicle, most hand controls use a series of levers, attached to the upper part of the gas and brake pedals, to put the vehicle in motion and make it stop.    If you live in a hilly or mountainous terrain, make sure you buy the hand controls that allow you to apply the brake and gas pedals at the same time.  These are found in hand controls where the driver pushes ‘down’ to engage the gas pedal and ‘forward’ to apply the brake, as shown in the figure on the right. Other hand controls use ‘forward’ for the brake, but the driver must pull the lever toward them to apply the gas, making it impossible to apply both at the same time, which is illustrated in the figure on the left.   A majority of the permanent hand controls on the market do not interfere with nondisabled drivers, that is, the gas and brake pedals still work.     All hand controls come with an optional headlight dimmer and horn that can be placed directly on the lever, within easy reach.

Additional Info   Mobility Products and Design offers basic hand control systems:  http://www.mobilityproductsdesign.com/   Handicaps, Inc. also offers basic hand control systems, like the SuperGrade IV: http://www.handicapsinc.com/V3HandControl.htm   Suregrip hand controls allow drivers to keep both hands on the wheel to maintain proper control of the vehicle:  http://www.suregrip-hvl.com/   Wells-Engberg provides rotary cable and pneumatic hand control devices:  http://www.wells-engberg.com/   Take the pain out of renting cars with hand controls.  This site offers valuable information on how to avoid the pitfalls of a tiresome and common dilemma:  http://users.actcom.co.il/~swfm/   © 2006 J Carlton Media LLC

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