Wheelers’ fleet consists of manual side loading wheelchair modified minivans by Braun and Vantage Mobility. Today, they have a fleet of approximately 13 vans located throughout the islands with local agents residing on each island to personally serve their customers Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island of Hawaii (Kona). With the growing influx of elderly and mobility impaired travelers becoming apparent, she and her husband purchased the Wheelers franchise for the State of Hawaii back in 2003. MEET THE BUSINESS OWNER – Jennifer Wong started working as a Certified Nurse’s Aide doing elderly care for care homes and agencies when she noticed a lack of wheelchair accessible van rentals for the mobility impaired. Noble Transport LLC 80 (ask for Wheelers Cust rate).Beach Wheelchair Access / Honolulu ONLY.Speedi Shuttle All Islands: 87 (Wheelchair accessible Shuttle Service).We partner with various medical equipment providers throughout the state for all your scooter, wheelchair, and medical equipment rentals. Originally started as a wheelchair shuttle service in 2003, we have expanded statewide to encompass wheelchair accessible vans available on all major islands. It is nearly impossible to find one locally, so we end up placing orders for the inbound units that have no firm estimated dates of arrival."Įnos was willing to expand his search to other types of cars even though they may be bigger than his initial needs, but even when he expands his search, he's still unable to get transportation that works for his family, he said.HISTORY –Wheelers Van Rentals of Hawaii is the Hawaii franchisee for Wheelers Accessible Van Rentals, Inc. Nicole Bryson, the owner of FTMobility, explained further, "The semiconductor shortage is having a profound impact on the ability to locate vehicles to convert. As far as modified vans go, Enos said, "At first, I tried to get a van already converted, but the showroom was completely empty." Joey Enos and his wife, Anna MacNeil, want a Ford Transit XL for their son who has disabilities and uses a wheelchair to get around. Local areas may have programs that pay for the modification, but even with that help, since van prices are at an all-time high, some families can't make that leap in cost. Vans are difficult to come by and expensiveĪside from having trouble obtaining replacement parts, parents of children with disabilities are having difficulty finding a vehicle that works well for their family at a reasonable cost. Each time, the estimated arrival date in the computer system at the dealer reverted to "TBD." We received several notifications of a potential due date, but that day came and went. Our van was towed to the dealer months ago, and we waited for the part to arrive. Families who need a specific type of transportation to get around, like mine, are left with few options. Supply-chain shortages in the automaker industry are making it difficult to find basic replacement parts for cars and vans that need repair. It's the only way that my family, including my 9-year-old son, who has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, can get out of the house together. We drive a Toyota Sienna BraunAbility, a modified wheelchair-accessible van. Normally, we'd use our Honda Accord, rent a local van, or even use an Uber if the estimated shop time was short, but for my family of five, it's not always so simple. In December, my family's Toyota Sienna needed a part replaced, but it was nowhere to be found.