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upstart [soylentnews.org] writes:

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This tiny Dutch vehicle for people with disabilities is taking off [technologyreview.com]:

Designed specifically for people with disabilities, the Canta [waaijenberg.com] was created in 1995 by a small Dutch vehicle manufacturer called Waaijenberg Mobility. It operates at speeds typically below 45 kilometers (27.9 miles) per hour and is not allowed on major motorways.

“We started manufacturing the Canta because there was a demand,” says Frank Vermin, owner of Waaijenberg Mobility. Many of their customers, he explains, were unable to obtain a driver’s license owing to their disability. Canta may look like a car. But it is classified as a mobility device, which means people can “get mobility from door to door” without needing a license.

The various Canta models are customizable, allowing the vehicle to meet the mobility needs of a broad range of riders, including wheelchair users. The Canta 2 Inrijwagen [waaijenberg.com], for example, has no seats and lowers down to allow a wheelchair to roll in through a door at the back. Different types of controls for gas or brakes can be installed to suit the driver. The Canta is not the only microcar that can be seen driving around the Netherlands, but it is only the only one with these accessibility adaptations and advantages.

Original Submission