What is a WC19 wheelchair?

A WC19 wheelchair meets ANSI/RESNA WC19, a voluntary standard for wheelchairs designed to be used as a seat in a motor vehicle. It has four crash-tested securement points marked with a hook symbol, which makes it faster and safer to secure. The comparable international standard is ISO 7176-19.

Can a driver refuse a rider whose wheelchair is hard to secure?

No. Under the ADA rule at 49 CFR 37.165, a transportation provider may not deny a ride because the wheelchair cannot be secured satisfactorily by the vehicle's securement system. The provider can require that the wheelchair be secured, and can recommend that the rider transfer to a vehicle seat, but cannot require the transfer. The rule does let a provider decline when the rider and chair together weigh more than the lift is rated to carry.

Should the wheelchair face forward or backward?

Forward. The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute's Ride Safe guidance says to always position the wheelchair and rider facing forward. ADA vehicle rules allow rear-facing positions only with a padded barrier behind the rider, and require at least one forward-facing station on vehicles longer than 22 feet.

Is it safer for the rider to transfer to a vehicle seat?

Usually, yes. UMTRI's guidance says it is generally safest for wheelchair users to transfer to a vehicle seat and use the vehicle belt, with the wheelchair stored and secured. The choice belongs to the rider. You can suggest a transfer, but ADA rules do not let you require one.

How tight should the tiedowns be?

Tight enough to remove all slack from every strap. The ADA design standard for securement systems allows an occupied wheelchair to move no more than 2 inches in any direction under normal driving. If the chair rocks or slides when you push on it, retighten before you drive.

Wheelchair Securement Checklist (Free, Printable)

How to use this template

Drivers follow this checklist on every wheelchair ride, on both legs of the trip. Keep a copy in each accessible vehicle, near the securement station, so a driver can check a step without guessing.

New drivers work through it with a trainer on real rides until they can do every step without the sheet.
Trainers and supervisors use the sign-off block at the bottom for ride-along checks, then file it in the driver’s file.
Refresh it whenever you add a vehicle with a different tiedown system. Follow the tiedown manufacturer’s instructions where they are stricter than this list.

The steps follow the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute’s Ride Safe guidance and the ADA securement rules. Our guide to wheelchair securement standards explains WC18, WC19, and WC20 in more depth.

The template

Before the rider boards

Lift or ramp was cycled at the start of the shift and works
Four tiedowns at the station, with no frayed webbing, and all hooks and retractors lock
Lap and shoulder belt at the station
Floor track clear of debris
Check the wheelchair for a WC19 label and four hook symbols marking the securement points
No WC19 points: find welded frame junctions or structural points joined with hardened steel bolts
Hard lap tray removed and secured in the vehicle, or padded if it cannot come off
A place ready to secure oxygen tanks, bags, and other equipment

Boarding

Tell the rider each step before you do it
Set the manual wheelchair’s brakes on the lift platform
Platform barriers are up before the lift rises
Rider’s hands and feet stay inside the platform edges and handrails
Roll the wheelchair into the station facing forward, centered, with clear space around the rider
Power wheelchair: ask the rider to switch it off once it is in position

Securing the wheelchair

Attach the front tiedowns to floor points spaced wider than the wheelchair
Attach the rear tiedowns to floor points directly behind the rear securement points
Non-WC19 chairs: pick rear points high enough that the rear straps sit at 30 to 45 degrees from the floor
Never attach tiedowns to armrests, footrests, wheels, or any adjustable or removable part
Tilt-in-space chairs: attach all four straps to the seat frame, or all four to the base frame, never a mix
Tighten every strap until there is no slack
Push on the chair: it should not rock or slide

Securing the rider

Arrival and unloading

Park where the rider does not have to cross a street to reach the entrance
Release the rider’s lap and shoulder belt first
Release the tiedowns and move the chair onto the platform with the barriers up
Rider’s hands stay inside the platform edges on the way down
Stow tiedowns and belts off the floor before the next pickup

Driver sign-off (training or ride-along check)

Field	Entry	Field	Entry
Driver name		Trainer name
Vehicle and station		Date
Result (pass or retrain)		Trainer signature

What brokers and auditors look for

Brokers and state inspectors check the equipment at every station and whether drivers are trained to use it. The federal ADA rules set the floor.

Rule	What it says	Source
Securement strength	On vehicles up to 30,000 pounds GVWR, each securement leg must restrain up to 2,500 pounds forward, with at least 5,000 pounds per mobility aid	49 CFR 38.23(d)
Movement limit	A secured, occupied wheelchair may move no more than 2 inches in any direction under normal driving	49 CFR 38.23(d)
Station size	Clear floor area of 30 by 48 inches	49 CFR 38.23(d)
Rider belt	A lap belt and shoulder belt for each station, never used in place of wheelchair securement	49 CFR 38.23(d)
Use	Providers must use the securement system, may require the rider to allow it, and must assist when needed	49 CFR 37.165
No refusals	A ride may not be denied because the wheelchair cannot be secured satisfactorily	49 CFR 37.165

The voluntary standards matter too. ANSI/RESNA WC18 covers tiedown and occupant restraint systems, and WC19 covers wheelchairs built to be used as a vehicle seat. UMTRI recommends a tiedown system labeled as meeting WC18.

State Medicaid programs add their own rules. Virginia requires four fully functional securements at every wheelchair station, a working interlock, and a lap and shoulder belt mounted to the vehicle at every station. Drivers must secure every wheelchair and rider before starting the vehicle. CareOregon requires mobility devices to be secured whether the rider uses the device during the trip or it is stored.

Training is the other half. Oregon’s minimum training rules require drivers to complete a passenger service and safety course within three months of hire and every three years after, and drivers who operate wheelchair vans must complete its wheelchair securement portion. The CTAA PASS classroom course includes hands-on securement training, while the online course does not, and CTAA recommends adding the hands-on part. See NEMT driver training for the full list.

Common mistakes

Hooking to wheels, armrests, or footrests. These parts move or come off in a crash. Hook only to marked securement points or structural frame junctions.
Using the chair’s postural belt as the seat belt. Postural belts are not strong enough for crash forces and usually sit in the wrong place.
Lap belt over the armrest or high on the stomach. Route it between the armrest and the seatback so it stays low on the pelvis.
Slack straps. A strap with slack lets the chair move before the strap catches it. Tighten, then push on the chair to check.
Mixing seat and base points on a tilt chair. If the seat angle changes in a crash, mixed straps go slack.
Leaving tiedowns on the floor. Loose straps trip riders and damage the webbing.
Turning a rider away. ADA rules do not allow refusing a ride because the chair is hard to secure. Secure it as well as you can and document what you did.

Check the equipment itself during the daily vehicle inspection. After a crash, ask the wheelchair and tiedown manufacturers whether the equipment needs to be replaced.

Matching the right van

HealthRide records each rider’s mobility needs on the trip, so wheelchair, stretcher, and oxygen needs are matched to a vehicle that can carry them. Drivers complete a pre-shift inspection checklist in the driver app, and dispatch sees any failed item before the first pickup. See how vehicles and capabilities are tracked on the fleet page.

Wheelchair securement checklist for NEMT drivers