You can even pick the colour (photo)

People with disabilities who are shopping for an accessible vehicle have a new option being offered by a local retail store.

The MV1 is a van that is factory-built from the ground up to allow people with wheelchairs to ride up front.

It is constructed with a ramp and a missing front seat so that the person in the wheelchair can roll up to the front instead of being placed in the back, like in many other vehicles.

“They get to sit up front and watch just like anybody else,” said James Mills, president and CEO of HealthGear Medical Mart.

HealthGear will keep a demo unit on display to sell along with the rest of their offerings.

”Right now we sell everything from raised toilet seats to custom braces. Anything relating to people with disabilities in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Mills.

The MV1 is fully customizable, allowing customers to choose between powered and manual ramps and for the addition of hand controls to allow the person in the wheelchair to drive the vehicle.

You can even pick the colour.

The vehicle boasts a Ford engine and chassis and is built in the Hummer plant in Indiana, said Mills.

The Red Cross recently unveiled an MV1 (shown above) that they will be using to assist seniors who need transportation to and from medical appointments.

Although the Red Cross van wasn't purchased from HealthGear, it is a similar design to what they are offering.

Mills said there are other vehicles on the market that have similar features, but they are converted from existing designs.

“The difference between our vehicle and a conversion van is they will do a crash test prior to conversion and are given a government exception where it doesn’t have to pass another crash test,” said Mills.

“I’m not saying a conversion van is not safe, I’m saying our van has had numerous safety tests before it goes to market,” he adds.

Mills said there are 270 MV1s currently driving around Toronto and he hopes to be able to sell 10 to 12 units a year to people in the Sault.

“The idea is for us to enter the mobility market as far as vehicles go as a service to the Sault,” he said.

(PHOTO: Attendees got a first look at the new MV1 van during a Provincial Government health care funding announcement at the Sault Ste. Marie Red Cross office on Monday, December 15, 2014. Donna Hopper/SooToday)