Autoblog

General Motors announced today that in addition to the standard free year of service that comes with every vehicle equipped with OnStar, customers purchasing a GM vehicle with aftermarket equipment for the disabled will receive an extra two years of free OnStar service. The deal works through GM's Mobility Reimbursement Program that since 1991 has been reimbursing disabled customers an extra $1,000 when they buy or lease a GM vehicle and adapt it with one of 35 eligible aftermarket mobility modifications such as scooter hoists, wheelchair lifts and GM's own Sit-N-Lift Power Seat. GM sees OnStar as a service that provides additional benefits to the disabled and seniors with its ability to make hands-free calls, 24-hour emergency assistance and remote door unlocking capabilities, among others. After a person's three years of free service ends, the cost of continuing OnStar would be either $199/year for the Safe & Sound plan or $399/year for the Directions and Connections plan that includes turn-by-turn navigation.

[Source: GM]

When we think of transportation designed for the physically challenged, a picture of a Dodge Caravan converted to be wheelchair accessible pops in our heads. But your average Mr. Money Bags doesn't find himself scoping out Caravans when it comes time to replace his chauffer-driven Rolls, so why should those who roll in a wheelchair have to? It's an interesting question that Dignity Transportation felt compelled to answer with its Dignity Star wheelchair-accessible limo, believed to be the first of its kind in North America. Based on a 2006 Dodge High Roof Sprinter 2500, the Dignity Star's cargo hold has been converted into a limo with all the opulent trimmings one would expect in any stretch, including 15- and 20-inch LCD TVs, a DVD/CD player, five-speaker sound system with wireless headphones, and full dark window tint. There's also a curved leather couch inside that seats six and enough room for two wheelchairs to come aboard via the rear-mounted lift. You know what that means? No more cruisin' to the country club in a Caravan.

[Source: Dignity Star]

Sibling-site Engadget posted about the Superfourin chair, a modified wheelchair/ATV developed by the German organizations Fraunhofer Institute for Information and Data Processing IITB and Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH. The chair not only allows a disabled person to traverse rough terrains with ease, but tracks them via the built-in GPS system while other systems monitor the driver's vital signs. In the event of a problem, such as the driver suffering a seizure or the chair's wheels lock up, an alert is instantly transmitted.

Other details, such as the hybrid engine and fleet monitoring, can be found at Engadget.

[Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft via Gizmag via Engadget]