TRANSPORT & MOBILITY
The Road to Independence
Brotherwood’s James Pitt-Kerby explores the transformative effect Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles can have on the lives of the less-mobile.
For many people, age can unfortunately become a barrier to independence. As personal mobility decreases, it can become difficult to enjoy the same freedom of travel to the shops, visits to family or friends, or spontaneous days out, leading many elderly individuals to become isolated. The ability to do something as straightforward as travelling by car, may seem impossible.
However, many solutions now exist that can help the elderly and less mobile retain their independence, enabling easy and convenient car travel. More people than ever are now able to enjoy the freedom that car journeys can provide, whether independently or with the assistance of a carer.
Vehicle Adaptations There are a wide range of vehicle adaptations available today, that can help individuals to overcome mobility challenges or flexibility difficulties that may otherwise prevent them from driving, or travelling as a passenger within a car. As today’s cars continue to grow in size, many less mobile individuals struggle with the action required to access the vehicle itself – stepping across a large door sill, for example, or being unable to stoop low enough to access a vehicle’s driver or passenger seat. Access issues of this kind can often be overcome with the fitting of a specially designed transfer seat – which can rotate itself out of the car door aperture, allowing the driver or passenger to sit on the seat at a manageable height, before rotating back into place within the vehicle.
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For drivers, adaptations are available to make operating driver controls easier, regardless of any mobility issues. Hand controls can be fitted which can act in place of pedal controlled accelerator or brakes; alternatively if a driver has greater control with one foot over another, pedal adaptations such as left-foot accelerators can be easily fitted.
with the assistance of a carer.”
now able to enjoy the freedom that car journeys can provide, whether independently or
“More people than ever are
Transporting Mobility Aids Another issue that the less mobile motorist can encounter is the need to transport a mobility aid. Scooters are essential travel tools for many, yet loading them into a car boot car be a difficult, if not impossible task.
Thankfully there are many solutions that can make transporting a mobility aid easier. All-in-one systems can be fitted to standard cars of any size, with ramps enabling a collapsible compact scooter for example, to be
driven into almost any car boot via remote control. Alternatively, a hoist can be used to lift and stow a scooter into the boot of a larger car or SUV.
For very large and all-terrain scooters, a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) might be the most convenient method of transport.
Wheelchair Accessible
Vehicles As the name suggests, a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle is a vehicle which has been specially adapted to enable a wheelchair user to enter, and ride as a passenger (or in some cases driver) without transferring out of their wheelchair. Adaptations to turn a standard vehicle into a ‘WAV’ include fitting an access ramp, lowering an area of the floor for the wheelchair space, and fitting a tested restraint system which holds the wheelchair in place during travel.
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles can also be used to transport mobility aids such as scooters.
There are a range of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles available ranging from small to very large, to suit a variety of needs and applications. However it is always best to look for a WAV that will provide suitable headroom and a comfortable ride for the wheelchair user, as well as being easy to use and drive for the care provider.
With so many options it’s never been easier to keep mobile, and enjoy the benefits that stress-free travel can bring.
www.brotherwood.com
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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