I'm thinking about building a bicycle designed for myself, a visually impaired person (VIP).
Allow me to fill in some background info. I've been border-line legally blind (or around 70% blind) for about three years. I have no vision in my left eye, but I still have about half the sight left in my right eye. The vision in my right eye is a little blurry and I have some trouble seeing at night and in direct sunlight, but I can still see well enough to walk around without getting hit by a car. Driving would be too dangerous, so if I need something, like food, I have to walk about a mile to get it. It would make life much easier if I had a bike to get around on.
My dad and I started talking about this last week and we decided that it would need a sturdy frame, 3 fat tires (1 in the front and 2 in the back for added balance so I don't fall if I hit a pothole), and a trailer that I can hook up to the back and carry a bunch groceries back home. I'd also need a lot of flashers, lights, and flags so drivers will notice me.
I've been looking at other cycling sites for ideas, but I wanted too see if anyone here has ever built/used a bike for V.I.P.'s before. Any hints or ideas? I'd like to buy my parts from a proggive, union run company, if possible. So if anyone knows of any, I'd be more then happy to check them out. We haven't started building the bike yet, that will probably start in August. I'm just looking for some tips and ideas before I begin.
Thank you in advance for reading/replying.
P.S. Mods, if this belongs somewhere else, please feel free to move it. I wasn't entirely sure where to post it.
= new reply since forum marked as read
....both mass produced and home built.
.
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http://americanspeedster.com/
They sell plans or kits and use standard bicycle parts.
It's four wheel rather than three, but apparently they are pretty popular. The company is American owned, but I don't know anything about the owner's politics.
too much weight-
We rented one of these four person bikes in Galveston with four adults peddling and two kids sitting up front....
We were going along all fine then all of a sudden my legs starting BURNING, look over and behind me and I'm the only fucker peddling LOL
New device could give blind people the ability to ride a bike independently by using ultrasound to warn them of obstacles
Device uses same ultrasound technology as the award-winning Ultracane
It gives riders feedback on obstacles ahead via vibrating handlebar buttons
Makers now working with sports groups to offer cycling events for the blind
An ultrasound sensor kit could enable people with visual impairments to ride a bicycle independently.
The UltraBike unit has sensors to give the rider constant directional feedback of obstacles ahead and at each side, via vibrating buttons beneath each thumb.
The device, which is detachable and can be fitted onto the handlebars of any bike, was designed by electronics engineer and entrepreneur Paul Clark.
It uses the same obstacle detection capability in the award winning UltraCane, an electronic mobility aid that is used by people with sight loss all over the world.
The UltraCane mimics the echolocation abilities of bats and was featured on the BBC documentary series Miracles of Nature, fronted by Richard Hammond in 2012.... Dan Smith, who had been a keen cyclist before losing his sight, was shown on the programme steering a straight course through a heavily wooded cycle path using the first UltraBike.
Since the programme, Sound Foresight Technology has made the kits more widely available, to give groups of visually impaired riders the opportunity to try an UltraBike, most notably at a world first event run by Life Cycle UK in Bristol, on a specially constructed cycle track.
Dr Clark commented: 'The UltraBike is not suitable for visually impaired road cyclists because road drivers assume a cyclist can see, so this is clearly too hazardous.
'It is designed for use in a supervised and controlled environment and has great potential for use in sport and velodrome settings in particular. We are now looking at specific enhancements to the technology for this purpose.'
Now, this guy says that people shouldn't use it on the road, but since you have some vision, the thing would be more like a little "extra help" and wouldn't be the only thing you're relying on. It wouldn't hurt to contact him and find out if this thing could be of any use to you.
You could pair it with one of these (available at WALMART):
http://www.walmart.com/ip/12016722?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedItemId=5679542&adid=22222222227001173322&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=41814255070&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=34188956230&veh=sem
There's already a basket on the back for the groceries! A few lights and flags and you're in business!
We have no mods, anymore--just hosts. I think this is a topic of general interest, myself, though I'm not a host. It encompasses disability issues, inventions, problem-solving...all sorts of "general" topics!!
Something that only goes 8-10 mph and can be recharged. He made one of his own a few months ago so he can probably figure out how to do it again.
I didn't know you had a transplant. I hope everything goes well and you feel better soon! 
I'm an avid rider on two wheels at the moment but sooner or later will need three due to advancing age.
The big problem with a standard adult trike is that they don't handle very well or much like a regular bicycle.
The best of the standard "sit up" delta trikes (one front two rear wheels) is the Worksman, you can find them here.
http://www.worksmancycles.com/
Personally I'd be more inclined toward a tadpole trike (two wheels in front, one in rear), for one thing they are much safer and more stable when braking hard as in an emergency maneuver a delta trike will want to flip to one side or the other in that situation. There is an add on front end kit you can buy for a standard bike that turns it into a tadpole style trike that also leans like a regular bike and has an integral luggage carrying system as well.
http://practicalcycles.com/products/67309--noomad-trike-conversion.aspx
I would make sure to get a good bike that fits you properly to put the kit on, also terrain makes a considerable difference, if you live somewhere flat you don't need a lot of gears but getting up even moderate hills with a load without a considerable number of gears is going to be a real chore.
One thing I can tell you is that a different looking bike gets you more respect from cars on the road, I ride a semi-recumbent two wheeler and cars tend to give me a lot more room than when I still rode a standard upright bike.
Also bear in mind that with a trike you have to think about where three different tracks are going to fall on the road, potholes, debris and so forth in the road that would be easy to dodge on two wheels in line with each other are much more difficult to avoid on a three wheeler and the wider the trike the more this problem arises.
Good luck and if you have any more questions feel free to ask.