When you think wheelchair, the image of a tank probably doesn’t pop into your mind. Most people think wheelchairs are designed for flat, basic environments. The Tankchair, however, has disrupted this traditional image.
After his wife Liz was paralyzed in an auto accident and couldn’t go camping in a traditional wheelchair, Brad Soden created the Tankchair. Without any formal engineering training, Soden created a chair for Liz so she could still do the things she loved before tragedy struck. The platform for the Tankchair had begun.
Tankchair LLC is a family-run business out of a small industrial garage in North Phoenix. The company includes Brad, Liz, and Brad’s parents Jo-Ann and Vic Soden. The family builds, services and delivers Tankchairs to about 200 customers worldwide. The chairs aren’t just business for Brad though, instead they’re more of an improvement to someone’s lifestyle with unique customization based on client needs.
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One Tankchair belongs to police officer Bill Weigt. After getting shot in the spine in a drug bust gone wrong, Bill was forced to retire on medical disability. After hearing his story, Brad Soden built Bill a Tankchair painted like a police car and equipped with guns and flashing lights. After removal of the guns from the chair at the city’s request, Weigt was able to return to the force with his new Tankchair, even pulling over cars with the lights and sirens customized specifically for his chair.
Tankchairs are used on terrains from sand and mud to snow and even water up to 2-feet deep. This ability to wheel over different terrains allows those with disabilities that hinder mobility to work and go places that aren’t typically wheelchair accessible, like farms and beaches. The Tankchair is perfect for people like Betty Jean Hamman (pictured at right), who still need to manage their farms and other outdoor work on their own and it’s great for those who need a little extra help getting around to enjoy a day at the beach or a weekend camping with their family.
