My Car is a Key to Independence

Teenagers can’t wait to reach the right of passage when they get their driver’s license and their first taste of freedom.  I was no different.  As soon as I turned 16, I got my license and got jolt of independence!  Well hold on…  The same age I got my license I was also handed a diagnosis of a condition called Friederich’s Ataxia that would cause me to lose my ability to walk.  How’s that for humble pie?! However at the age of 22, I got hand controls installed in my car and relearned to drive with my hands.  Freedom achieved again!  Let’s talk about my car so I can show you one of the ways I reclaimed some independence.

The first thing I did was get hand controls installed in my car.  Now, this is a picture of the hand controls in my car but there are different ones that can be installed in your car based on your strength, dexterity, and flexibility in your upper body.  I push in for the brake and pull for the gas.  The steering knob helps control the wheel better with your other hand.  After 5 years of driving with my feet this was a slight* adjustment.  Don’t worry, it quickly becomes second nature.

Over the course of the past 10 years, I have owned a few different scooter lifts.  I had one at first that lifted the scooter into the trunk and then I walked to the front.  Then I had one that lifted the scooter directly behind the driver’s seat.  However, when I bought my currant car, I got a fully converted van that allows me to drive my scooter directly in my car.  The driver’s seat spins around and allows me to slide from the scooter to the driver seat.  See picture below.

My van’s conversion is by BraunAbility.  Having a converted van means that the floor is lowered allowing my scooter to roll in my car.  My ramp comes out of the side door automatically when I open the door.  This is when I learned first hand the importance of van accessible parking spots and people respecting the lines between parking spaces.  When people park in those lines I can’t get my scooter in and out of my car.  I bought my van at Mobility Works, which is a nation wide dealership.

As a young, single woman I never imagined how much freedom my MINI-VAN would give me.  More vehicle types are being converted now so maybe I won’t always be channeling the soccer mom vibe.  However, for now I am just grateful for the independence which I have learned not to take for granted.