Member Article

Community celebrates new mobility resource

East Anglian DriveAbility has celebrated the launch of its new assessment suite with an open day at its Wakes Colne site.

Health professionals, voluntary organisations and members of the public joined Sue Rogers from the Department for Transport and CEO of Driving Mobility UK, Edward Trewhella, at the official opening of the new facility.

Also, attending the event was quadruple amputee and disability rights campaigner, Helen Dolphin MBE who reassured visitors about the benefits of getting assessed and how it can provide a new found freedom for those with debilitating illnesses.

East Anglian DriveAbility (EAD) is one of 17 accredited mobility assessment centres across the UK which offer professional assessment, information, advice and recommendations for drivers with medical conditions that may affect their ability to drive.

The event was supported by vehicle adaptation specialists from all over the country, including Autochair, which held a series of demonstrations of its hoist range to show how easily scooters and wheelchairs can be transported with the right equipment.

Helen Dolphin, also an ambassador for Autochair, said: “The event was a great success and a true celebration of driver assessment centres which offer a fantastic service to those with declining mobility. In the current economy, people are losing disability allowances and vehicles. This event showcased the best of cost-effective alternatives for staying mobile.

“With our ageing population, visiting these centres can be life-changing. A variety of new technologies, like Autochair’s products, feature in the centre to demonstrate the benefits of affordable alternatives.”

Attendees on the day also spoke to professional driving instructors and occupational therapists who dispelled any myths and concerns for those who could potentially be affected.

Jules Allen, Autochair sales and marketing director, said: “It has been a really uplifting occasion. People are often anxious about approaching the subject of driving with a disability. But today has shown that these driving assessment centres want to keep people behind the wheel for as long as possible.

“With the right equipment and advice there’s no reason why most people can’t enjoy the open road for years after a diagnosis.”

Autochair is a supplier and UK manufacturer of vehicle adaptation products established in 1983 by David Walker, whose own disability and determination to live an independent life

resulted in creating hoists to make car travel easy and accessible for disabled drivers or passengers.

It offers Smart Lifter equipment which aids the lifting of a scooter or wheelchair from pavement to car and Smart Transfer aids which transfer passengers from wheelchair to car.

For more information on Autochair visit www.autochair.co.uk.

For more information about East Anglian DriveAbility (Essex) call 01787 222873 or visit www.eastangliandriveability.org.uk

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