Do you use a wheelchair? Getting around without your own vehicle can be really hard. Simple things like doctor visits, work, or school can start to feel impossible. Bridge to Mobility is a nonprofit that wants to change that. They help people get the down payment together for a wheelchair accessible vehicle, also called a WAV.
What Is Bridge to Mobility?
Bridge to Mobility is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to helping wheelchair users afford accessible vehicles. Most wheelchair users don’t have access to a private WAV. That lack of transportation can limit everything from going to work to visiting family.
Bridge to Mobility is meant to cover the down payment gap after other financing options have been explored. The idea is that many people can afford a monthly car payment, insurance, and gas, but the upfront down payment is what’s standing in their way.
How Much Money Can I Get?
This organization doesn’t hand out full vehicle funding. Instead, they offer what’s called “last-dollar” grants, up to $5,000 per person. This amount is designed to cover roughly 10% of the cost of a used WAV, which is typically what a lender would want as a down payment.
Because this program fills a financing gap rather than covering the whole vehicle, it works best alongside other funding, like a car loan you already qualify for or savings you’ve put toward the purchase.
Who Is Eligible?
To qualify, you need to:
- Be a wheelchair user in need of a personal wheelchair accessible vehicle
- Be unable to afford a private vehicle on your own
- Show that you can handle the ongoing costs of owning a WAV, like monthly payments, insurance, gas, and maintenance, once the down payment gap is closed
This program is meant for people who are close to being able to afford a WAV but are missing that upfront piece, not for people who need full vehicle funding covered.
How Do I Apply?
You don’t apply to Bridge to Mobility directly. Instead, here’s how the process works:
- Find a NMEDA dealer. NMEDA stands for the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association. These are dealers who specialize in wheelchair accessible vehicles. You can search for one near you using the dealer map on the Bridge to Mobility website.
- Get a Needs Analysis. Your dealer will sit down with you and look at your finances, your credit, and what kind of vehicle and equipment you’ll need. This step figures out how much financing you already qualify for.
- The dealer applies on your behalf. If there’s still a funding gap after your Needs Analysis, your NMEDA dealer submits the grant application to Bridge to Mobility for you.
- The grant committee reviews it. A committee looks over your application and makes a recommendation to the Bridge to Mobility board.
- The board approves grants quarterly. Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded four times a year.
- You find out through your dealer. Bridge to Mobility notifies your NMEDA dealer of the outcome, and your dealer will let you know directly.
Because grants are awarded quarterly rather than year-round, it’s worth starting the process with a dealer as early as you can rather than waiting until you’re in a financial pinch.
Relief Recap
Getting stuck at home because you can’t afford a wheelchair accessible vehicle is a real problem, and it’s one most people don’t think about until they’re facing it themselves. If Bridge to Mobility doesn’t fully close your gap, take a look at our guide on getting a free wheelchair van and our transportation assistance resources for more programs that might help you get where you need to go.
