BraunAbility remains a pioneer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles in the world.

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Disabled individuals who are either temporarily or permanently confined to a wheelchair have special needs and must rely on others to assist them when traveling from one place to another. For some, this may be a stressful experience knowing they are inadvertently placing their own personal safety into the hands of another. They need to feel certain that their well-being is accounted for and that they are in the care of someone whom they can trust when getting in and out of a vehicle.

Similarly, the companies that offer vehicles and accessories that enable disabled individuals to travel safely also must be reliable. The wheelchair lifts and para-transit conversions produced by BraunAbility – formerly The Braun Corporation – set the bar in public use transportation for the disabled ac­ross the country and around the world, it says. Not only is the Winamac, Ind.-based company the largest manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles in the world, it has remained a pioneer in the mobility industry since its founder, CEO Ralph W. Braun, invented the first battery-powered wheelchair in 1963.

At six years old, Braun was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy – known today as spinal muscular atrophy – and was unable to walk by the age of 14. According to the company, “He distinctively remembers thinking at the time, ‘You’re dead when you hit the chair for good.’ Thankfully for him and for thousands of wheelchair users, his outlook on life would brighten dramatically as he entered his early 20s. Despite the limitations on his mobility and society’s unfavorable attitudes toward the disabled, Ralph was able to complete his education and gain employment as a clerk at the local hospital.”

Making History
In those days, wheelchairs were cumbersome iron machines that were difficult to maneuver and required a considerable amount of upper arm strength to operate alone. At the end of the day, Braun found himself utterly exhausted. Determined to find a better way to get around, he began to tinker in his cousin’s farm shop and invented what would soon be known as the world’s first electric scooter, or “Tri-Wheeler” as he called it back then. Word quickly spread of this newfangled invention, and Braun began building Tri-Wheelers for other disabled individuals in his parents’ garage under the name Save-A-Step Manufacturing.

“In the early years, Ralph rode his Tri-Wheeler the short distance to and from work in all kinds of weather,” the company says. “But when his employer relocated further away from his home, the snowy Indiana winters presented a new transportation challenge. Once again, he took to the shop and soon the first wheelchair lift was created for a retired post office Jeep. A few years later, the arrival of the full-size van sparked the creation of the Lift-A-Way wheelchair lift. Again, the disabled community took note. Ralph began to get insistent phone calls, and he worked nights and weekends to meet the demand.”

In 1972, Save-A-Step was incorporated under the name The Braun Corporation, and the company grew substantially as it perfected its trade. But in the summer of 1979, a fire destroyed the company’s manufacturing facility and corporate offices. For the next decade, it faced the challenge of rebuilding itself from the ground-up. As it worked to put back together the broken pieces of its business, BraunAbility invested in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment that spawned new product introductions, strengthening the com­pany’s position as a leader in its industry.

Many of its initial customers became dealers, which laid the foundation for a distribution network with 200 dealers representing the company today. When the Americans With Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, awarding disab­led individuals unprecedented access to public places, BraunAbility introduced another revolutionary product, one that quickly became the flagship of its product line: the Entervan.

“Designed and engineered for the best in safety and reliability, it’s really no wonder the Chrysler/Dodge Enter­van has been the star of the Braun­Ability fleet for over 20 years,” the company notes. “This classic conversion is easy to operate and offers a spacious interior for greater maneuverability. The Entervan features a power auto-kneel system, lowered driver side sliding door sill, easy out front passenger and driver seats, under carriage spare tire storage and more.”

An updated version, the Entervan XT, is the “perfect mobility solution for individuals who sit higher in their wheelchairs,” the company continues. “With over 56 inches of clearance through the sliding door – a full four inches more than the standard Entervan – this conversion makes it easier for many wheelchair users to enter and exit the vehicle. Up to 61 inches of interior clearance provides extra headroom and greater visibility. A convenient fold-down footrest gives backseat passengers a more comfortable ride, too.”

BraunAbility’s CompanionVan SE line offers the accessibility of a traditional lowered-floor minivan in a “streamlined, economical package,” it says. “With a man­ual door and manual ramp, these wheelchair vehicles are a great choice for wheelchair users who travel with an attendant. This SE features a lowered floor from the rear bench seat to just behind the front seat, allowing space for one wheelchair. Both front seats and the rear bench seat are retained, allowing seating for up to four ambulatory adults with one wheelchair secure position in the center lowered floor area.”

Offering a Lift
BraunAbility continues to fine-tune its wheelchair lifts to match a variety of mobility devices ranging from traditional manual wheelchairs to lightweight scooters and high-tech, full-featured power chairs. “BraunAbility values and carefully considers our customers’ feedbacks when designing our van wheelchair lifts,” it says. “Developing and producing thou­ghtfully designed, safe and durable mobility aids has been our mission for more than 40 years, and we’re proud to provide thorough support and maintenance solutions for each of our products.

“With its power trifolding platform, the Vangater Series solves the problem of wheelchair access and ambulatory entry,” the company says. “Over half the van’s side door is available for easy ambulatory access when the wheelchair lift is in the stowed position. But the touch of a button quickly unfolds the platform, revealing a fully functional wheelchair lift in a compact package. For passenger comfort, the front seat can recline fully – a feature unique to wheelchair lifts moun­ted inside the vehicle.

“The Millennium Series is the true workhorse of the BraunAbility line,” it continues. “Those who appreciate a strong, stable lifting platform and time-tested durability can choose this wheel chair lift series with confidence. Thoughtful features include the standard side entry platform, which allows boarding in tight parking situations. [And] the Century Series offers all of the benefits of a BraunAbility wheelchair lift in a stream­lined, economical package. The simplified electrical system offers trouble-free operation, while the nonhydraulic, spring-loaded roll stop keeps [a] chair securely on the wheelchair lift platform throughout the lifting cycle.”

A Special Gift
BraunAbility attributes its success to three important groups who have helped the company grow into the leader it is today: its employees, vendors and suppliers and customers. In a December 2009 Inc. article, Braun told writer Kasey Wehrum that if it had not been for the dedication of his work force, the company might not have been able to rebuild itself after the devastating fire of 1979. “I credit my employees for chipping in and putting everything back on track,” he said. “They ramped up production so that we didn’t lose any orders. I’d say that two-thirds of those employees are still with us, some 30 years later.”

Vendors such as Winona, Minn.-based Fastenal Company – a distributor of fastenings, fixings and associated products – assist the company in producing its top-of-the-line, wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Fastenal services BraunAbility with a vendor managed inventory program for its OEM fasteners, which drives down the company’s holding costs, lead times and procurement/ disbursement process, according to Marketing Cam­paigns Coordinator Kathryn Hazelton.

“Currently, we are exploring additional product categories and expanding the relationship to show a greater reduction in their total ownership costs,” she says. A rising demand for BraunAbility’s wheelchair-accessible vehicles, prompted by the testimonies of scores of satisfied customers, has carried the company through the peaks and valleys of an unpredictable economy, and it will continue to ensure its success well into the future. Braun’s desire to help other disabled individuals travel safer and easier is what prompted him to expand the company, despite the obstacles he would inevitably face, he told Wehrum.

“When I was growing this business, I had two strikes against me,” he said. “I was young, and I was what the population calls ‘disabled.’ I never let that stand in my way. I just had to walk the extra mile – or roll the extra mile in my case. “Everyone told me it wasn’t going to work. But when it comes to commonsense engineering, I’m very blessed. I think it is a God-given ability because I feel I was sent here to help my cohorts who are disabled get mobility.”