: Hi!

: I´m building my first kayak at the moment. I´m planning on building more and
: now I´m wondering whether there´s a suitable design for my father. He´s
: stuck to his wheelchair and cannot move his legs at all. Despite that,
: he´s very active. He drives the car of the family and move himself in and
: out of the car by lifting himself from and to the wheelchair.

: Is there anyone who have seen a kayak for a disabled person or having ideas?
: I´d be grateful to take part of that.

: Greatings,
: Kristina Jakobsson

Control of the boat/kayak is important. A wider boat like Jim recommends has enough stability that the body movement affects it less and balance is not dependent on hip movement. A narrower kayak often depends on the paddler's lower body control for balance.
I have worked here with paraplegic paddlers and various kayaks. The boat opening needs to be big enough to get in and out of easily yet small enough to allow the body to help control the boat.
Does he have movement control of his hips? If so, I've found that padding around the hips after entering allowed our paddlers to control their boats to the point of sculling over and back up. We used inflatable "Thermorest" thin mattresses. They blew up enough to hold the hips yet were slick enough and gave enough for exits if necessary.
Depending on where you are and the warmth of the weather and water (and what he wears), you may consider a sit-on-top kayak. They are wider and more stable, easy to enter/exit, designed for a double paddle technique, and the sitting area is easy to customize to fit the paddlers hips and legs.

Good seating may be the key for paddling effiency, comfort and safety.
Randy