Ste Purse is an actor and disability campaigner who spent many years working alongside Motability in his role at a nationwide vehicle breakdown and recovery firm. In his final article for this series Ste tells us about the long-awaited handover of his new Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV), his first long drive, a meeting with the Prime Minister and how the vehicle's ability to transport his powerchair has given real independence to him and his family.
At the end of my previous article, my new Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) was undergoing final preparations for delivery. The foot pedal adaptations were being powder-coated and carpeted along with other final checks. The delivery date of 9th February was looming fast, and I could not wait to see the finished product. The delivery day arrived and sure enough so did my Volkswagen Shuttle WAV. I’m happy to report that I was not disappointed, and the vehicle looked absolutely fantastic. The delivery driver took me through the paperwork and showed me how everything worked. This included a few things that I had not thought of, such as the wheelchair restraints should I use my manual wheelchair and travel in the vehicle as a passenger. Once I was happy and everything had been checked, I officially took delivery by using a special PIN code supplied by Motability. I handed over my PIN code and the Volkswagen was now mine.
It had been a long journey from initially exploring the possibility of having a WAV with Motability, through to finally seeing it parked up on my driveway.
The removable foot pedal adaptations.
It was time to take it out for a drive, and from behind the wheel the first thing that I noticed was the height of the driving position. It affords a fantastic view of the road ahead over the top of the cars in front. The second thing was the length. The vehicle I ordered is the long wheelbase version, and it does require extra care when turning in and out of junctions as it is easy to bump the rear wheel up the kerb! The vehicle handles very differently to my old BMW, and I think this will be noticeable to all who transfer from a car to a van-based WAV. Cornering is a slower affair, and it’s obviously not as spritely off the line as my old car. However, this is all just a matter of adjusting, and I would not go back to my old BMW given the choice.
My first long trip (where I could gain the full benefit of the WAV) was a visit to a seminar in Manchester for the cause that I campaign for. Again, the high driving position was great. The view helps me to anticipate what traffic ahead is doing, which feels much safer. I was comfortable driving the longer distance and arrived with a smile on my face. I parked outside the hotel to offload luggage and went to the next street to the multi-storey car park used by the hotel. This is where I met an issue I had not expected. The height restriction of the car park was 1.8 metres. After a quick check I found out my Volkswagen was 1.98 metres, and I would not fit! After a quick Google search, I located another multi-storey nearby with a height restriction of 2.1 metres and set off. Even though I knew I’d fit under, it still felt close. I now do not go under anything less than 2 metres just in case the height barrier has dipped a few millimetres.
The task of getting in and out of the WAV is easy, everything is controlled by remote controls on a lanyard. Particular care has to be taken when parking as I need about 3 metres of room at the rear to get the lift down and for me to reverse off. In supermarket car parks the issue is opening the door and extending the lift safely as people and cars will be passing behind the WAV. The operation of the lift means I am effectively extending it into a live traffic lane on the car park. So far, I have had no issues and parking just needs a bit more thought.
So, has this made a difference to my life? Well, I have to say I cannot believe how I managed before! Since owning the WAV I have been to more places and felt the independence of being out of my manual wheelchair. Basically, I now use my WAV and powerchair to go where I want when I want.
It also frees up my wife to hold our son and means we can ‘walk’ side by side instead of me being pushed in front in a wheelchair. It might sound like a small difference, but it’s one that gives me the dignity of independence. I have been to London a couple of times, once to an acting job and again for a meeting with Boris Johnson PM as part of my campaigning.
As a family we have been out together far more and visited Norfolk to see my wife’s family twice. While some of this would have been possible in the manual wheelchair, the experience of being independent and able to use my powerchair away from home has been fantastic.
I can now go in and out of the vehicle on my own, go to the bar on my own and use the toilets on my own. This really boosts one's confidence as an independent person. The additional functionality of the removable foot pedal driving adaptation has opened up new possibilities for me and my wife as we can easily share the driving, which is very useful if I am not feeling well and away from home. It's also far more practical for the servicing staff at the dealership, as they no longer have to push my vehicle into a service bay!
Overall, it has been a life changing experience and I would urge anyone thinking of starting this process to take that first step. I cannot thank Motability, Lewis Reed and Jim Doran Hand Controls enough, as they did everything they could to make it a smooth, easy process. You can't put a price on independence, it is something everyone should have.
