Imagine this scenario: You look forward to your art group each week. It’s a place where you connect with friends, express your creativity and have fun. But, all too often, you arrive late – or don’t get there at all.
Why? Because you’re stuck waiting for a maxi taxi!
That frustration and limitation are some of the key reasons why people begin to explore vehicle modifications.
Exploring vehicle modifications
Maxi taxis can be great. But there is limited availability, so you usually have to plan well ahead and be on time (even when they’re late!). It’s almost impossible to be spontaneous, and there’s virtually no flexibility.
As the Australian Psychological Association reports,
Barriers to access deny people their right to participate and disrupt their connections with their families and communities. Being socially excluded in this way is associated with poor mental health and wellbeing.
You can enjoy independence when you have a vehicle that meets your needs. You can go wherever you want, whenever you want, without compromising your safety or independence.
In one survey by La Trobe University, respondents reported that vehicle modifications increased their ability to:
- Travel without relying on others
- Access their local shops
- Keep their medical or therapy appointments
- Participate in sport or leisure activities
- Attend church or social outings
- Travel to new places or into rural or regional areas
- Visit friends and family
- Head interstate.
It’s really not going too far to say that vehicle modifications can be life-changing. But where do you start? How do you know which vehicle is best or which modifications you need?
Let’s work it out together.
Meeting the standards and meeting your needs
At Enabled Designs, we love supporting your independence. That includes helping you enjoy independent travel to easily get where you want to go.
We are well-versed in vehicle modification standards and the compatibility of various mobility aids with modified vehicles. These relate to things like the following:
- Size of door openings
- Distance from your head to the roof when you’re sitting in your wheelchair in your car
- Space in front of your feet
- Seatbelt and tie-down requirements
- Additional requirements for using a wheelchair when travelling.
As you can see, there’s much to consider when modifying a vehicle, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. A successful vehicle modification requires a thorough grasp of the regulations and your specific needs.
How can we help?
Vehicle modifications may take a bit of thought, effort and expense (hopefully covered by the NDIS), but they make a significant difference to:
- Independence – it’s empowering to have the ability to travel
- Accessibility – you can get in and out of your vehicle, and you can access appointments, work or study more easily
- Inclusion – you can be more active in your community.
Our process includes:
- Assessing your needs
- Which mobility aids are you using?
- How can you transfer into and out of a vehicle?
- What support do you have when you’re travelling?
- Identifying the most appropriate vehicle for you
- Only a few vehicles can be modified, and we work with vehicle modifiers to identify the right one for you.
- We determine which accessible vehicle modifications will help you and your carers to transfer into and out of a vehicle and travel safely.
- We work with vehicle modifiers to explore options.
- Depending on your specific needs, we may show you already modified vehicles and select the most appropriate ones.
- Training you and your carers in how to use your modified vehicle safely, including when using a wheelchair in a modified vehicle.
Our goal, as always, is to work with you to maximise your independence. If you’d like to explore how we can help you, please contact us.
Disclaimer
All information is general and not intended as a substitute for professional advice.
References
- Australian Psychological Association, Disability, https://psychology.org.au/community/advocacy-social-issues/disability, [Accessed 16 January 2024]
- La Trobe University, Vehicle modifications for drivers with disabilities: developing the evidence base to support prescription guidelines, improve user safety and enhance participation, https://research.iscrr.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/292319/vehicle-modifications-for-drivers-with-disabilities.pdf, [Accessed 16 January 2024]