– By ANewDriver via Independent.ie
Driving from a wheelchair: the new Hi-Tech vehicle is a boost for drivers with physical disabilities. The Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) will officially roll out the new motor and driving tuition service. It will be known as a the ‘Drive from Wheelchair Tuition Vehicle’.
The important addition to the IWA’s driving school fleet means people will be able to learn to drive from their wheelchair, alongside a driving instructor.
While Hi-tech advances are usually associated with new and eye-catching cars, it is good, for once, to highlight its use in a manner that can improve people’s lives in such a profound way. The new vehicle is expected to help open up opportunities for many with physical disabilities.
Those who use a power or electric wheelchair will be able to learn to drive in the specially adapted vehicle which, as our pictures show, has a spread of controls and technology designed to help them.
The vehicle is expected to benefit many as it is capable of substantially increasing their level of independence on a day-to-day basis. As a result, it is anticipated that it will help improve opportunities for employment and/or further education.