LEARNING TO DRIVE WITH ERB’S PALSY
The group is often contacted by parents of 17 year olds wishing to learn to drive – for some young adults with Erb’s Palsy, no adaptations or adjustments need to be made to the car for them to be able to drive safely , but for others who have less function in their arms and hands it can be difficult working out whether or not they might need some adaption’s made to their vehicle.
The big difficulty is – how will you know until they try it out?
We would recommend a Driving Assessment for your young learner – so how do you access one?
Your first stop is likely to be a Mobility Centre – for telephone advice or for an assessment of your needs, for example. There are 17 Mobility Centres in the UK. They give practical and independent advice and assessment to disabled drivers and passengers. They will assess your ability to drive, advise you about vehicles that might suit you and about any adaptations you may need. They are well informed on motoring and disability issues generally. Talk to them about any mobility problems you have. Each centre has expert and friendly staff who are likely to have met and solved similar problems before. They are noncommercial and impartial.
An assessment for a driver referring him or herself will cost from £50 to £130 (depending on the centre).
In Scotland assessment is free if referred by a GP.
Mobility Centres are accredited by the Forum of Mobility Centres and have certain minimum standards. For more information on the centres contact: www.mobility-centres.org.uk
What is the Forum of Mobility Centres?
A network of 17 independent organisations covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who offer professional, high quality information, advice and assessment to individuals who have a medical condition or are recovering from an accident or injury which may affect their ability to drive, access or egress a motor vehicle.
You can attend whichever Centre is the most convenient for you. All Centres offer advice and assessment to people who wish to begin, or return to driving following an illness, injury or accident. They also offer advice with regard to getting in and out of a vehicle and with regard to loading and transporting a wheelchair or a scooter into a motor vehicle. Some Centres also offer assessment and advice with regard to wheelchair or scooter selection.
Who do we offer advice and assessment to?
- Older people
- People with a medical condition that impacts upon their ability to make appropriate decisions with regards to safe driving
- People with a disability who think they may need special modifications to a motor vehicle in order to be able to control it safely
- Carers who need to transport individuals with restricted mobility in a motor vehicle
What do we offer?
Assessment and advice:
- on adaptations to overcome physical problems with vehicle control
- with regard to your ability to drive safely
- on wheelchair and scooter loading and transportation
- regarding passenger / driver access to vehicles
Please also remember that you should declare your Erb’s Palsy when applying for your driving license failure to do so could invalidate your car insurance. Further information on this can be obtained from ; http://www.mobility-centres.org.uk