Just a few months ago, our favorite wheelchair-accessible van manufacturer updated its whole line of accessible vans. BraunAbility, formerly Braun, has updated its Entervan line to include even more features that make the use of their vans even easier for their owners and users. As your local BraunAbility Entervan dealer, Van Products would like to let you know about these new features that, with the purchase or rental of an accessible van, could make your life happier and easier.

BraunAbility has redesigned their seats to include two new features to make the removal and replacement of seats much faster and simpler. The new seats are enabled for "Step & Roll" removal, where an individual simply has to pull up a cover on the bottom of the seat, step on a lever, and the seat pops up to be rolled down the ramp out of the vehicle. Replacement is as easy as removal, as roller guides help place the chair exactly where it should be locked into place. To lock the chairs into place, simply step on the bar on the right side of the seat, and the chair is ready.

The ramps on BraunAbility's Entervans have also been redesigned. The new ramp has a faster "kick-out" mechanism designed to ensure that the ramp easily comes to rest on a firm, supporting surface, and allows for a quicker exit from the vehicle. Also, the ramp's motor is now fully enclosed, keeping all mechanics and wiring out of sight for a much more neat and presentable look.

BraunAbility's Entervans - brought to you by Van Products - continue to lead the pack in accessibility vans, improving quality and service to physically challenged individuals. For more information about the BraunAbility Entervan, contact Ivey Stroud at (800) 662-7572 or istroud@vanproducts.com. Make sure you ask about the new vans to take advantage of all the new great features on the seats and ramps.

2007 ALS Expo - Raleigh, NC - Saturday, Oct. 20th

Van Products looks forward to attending the 2nd Annual ALS Expo sponsored by the Muscular Distrophy Association (MDA) at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh. This Expo is a free event and an excellent tool for people facing the effects of this debilitating disease. The Expo, held from 12:00 - 4:00 Saturday afternoon in the Student Services building on the Wake Tech Main Campus, will include several speakers covering important topics like Home Modification, ALS Legislation, Caregiver Assistance and Planning Ahead for ALS. Also, Dr. Richard Bedlack will present a summary of the latest research about ALS.

Van Products understands the challenges that persons and families dealing with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have to face. Our mobility and transportation solutions are well suited to the needs of persons facing the debilitating effects of ALS. We'll have a booth at the Expo to talk with people there about our transportation and mobility solutions, and if you or someone you know is facing the effects of ALS, please come out and learn more about the progress in research and what can be done presently to deal with the disease. Feel free to visit the homepage for the ALS division of the MDA for more information about the organization.


NCALA Fall Conference and Trade Show - Winston Salem, NC - Wednesday, Oct. 24th

We will be participating the North Carolina Assisted Living Association (NCALA) Fall Conference and Trade Show in a few weeks in the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem. If you're a professional in the assisted living field, this show is where you need to be! We'll have a booth set up on Wednesday, October 24th from 12 - 3 in the afternoon so you can come by and see us! To learn more about the NCALA and get more information on how to register for the Conference and Trade Show, visit the NCALA homepage.


Spaghetti Auction Fundraiser - Raleigh, NC - Monday, Nov. 5th

Van Products will be taking part in a Spaghetti Auction to help support Gatewood Center, Greensboro Group Homes and Thomasville Group Homes, which exist to support and educate people with disabilities in the Triad area. These organizations believe that people at every level deserve a chance to achieve a life filled with their own choices, desires and dreams, and Van Products supports their mission, so we are proud help to sponsor the event on Monday, November 5th. This spaghetti auction has the potential to raise some much-needed funds to help these centers carry out their mission.

The event will be held at Cafe Pasta Grille, located at 305 State St. in Greensboro. Up for auction to benefit the Centers will be art works by Bob Timberlake, Dempsey Essick and Clark Hipolito. Lunches and dinners will be available to help support the Gatewood Center, Greensboro Group Homes and Thomasville Group Homes. We hope to see you out there to support this great cause!

Come out and see us at Independence Mall in Wilmington this Sunday, October 7th, where we will be on hand as part of the Healthy Lifestyle Expo sponsored by WECT TV6 out of Wilmington. We will be there along with some leading healthcare experts to emphasize a healthy lifestyle and show how our wheelchair accessible vans can assist people trying to live a healthy life.

Health-related speakers will be on hand and the National Prostate Cancer Coalition will be bringing their prostate cancer screening van for free screenings as a part of a healthy lifestyle. You can find our display and wheelchair accessible demonstration van near the prostate screenings van. Come out and see us; we would love to see you from 1 to 6 this Sunday afternoon at Independence Mall! For more information, visit the Healthy Lifestyle Expo web page.

Van Products and Orthopedic Service Company are now members of the Better Business Bureau of Eastern North Carolina, an organization dedicated to the improvement and maintenance of honorable business practices in eastern North Carolina. Feel free to view our profile on the BBB website. As a member of the BBB of Eastern North Carolina, Van Products agrees to cooperate with the BBB to resolve any customer complaints and possesses a satisfactory record with the BBB. Van Products is committed to quality customer service for the physically challenged in North Carolina, and we hope this membership in the BBB can assist our mission.

Labels: BBB, Better Business Bureau, customer service, Van Products