Disability Newsfeed for Disabled People, Parents, Carers, Occupational Therapists and AHPs

  TGA's Tim Ross talks to Radio Suffolk About Safe Mobility Scooter Driving. Tim Ross, TGA National Sales Manager, explains why assessment of personal needs and driver training is essential when purchasing a mobility scooter. TGA provides a comprehensive support programme for its customers so they can maximise safety and peace of mind when out and about on their mobility scooters. Watch/ listen here:  http://www.tgamobility.co.uk/about-u...?v=48L3dG66Kb0 

Alf Jackson, 84 from Warrington, Cheshire, is a real 'character' and retired Fire fighter who despite living with worsening Arthritis, has been able to enhance his independence even further with a second TGA award-winning mobility scooter. Alf has lived in the same area all his life and was originally born in Warrington. He now lives with his two rescue dogs, Lady the Lurcher and Sammy the Bedlington Terrie, in the brand new £9.5 million care village 'Belong Warrington'. Alf is well known in the local area thanks to his impressive mobility scooter, a  TGA Breeze S4 , which is the same model that won the BBC Top Gear Extreme Mobility Scooter challenge in 2012. Alf uses his robust 8mph mobility scooter, which was partly funded by the Firefighters Charity, to walk his dogs and enjoy visiting rural areas as he finds walking extremely difficult. This independence has been recently furthered by Alf's decision to purchase a second TGA mobility scooter - a more  compact B...

Steven Foot on his new donated TGA Breeze S4 GT mobility scooter with Ian Bennett, HSP Support Group Chairman. Despite living with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, Steven Foot from Marnhull, Dorset, has been able to regain independence outdoors and re-live his passion for cross-country point-to-point horseracing, thanks to a community-donated TGA Breeze with off-road capabilities. Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP) is a rare neurological condition that affects approximately 1 in every 10,000 people. It causes severe mobility difficulties from the waist down, similar to the affects of Multiple Sclerosis and there is no known cure. Before his condition became too severe, Steven owned a successful equestrian transportation business that fulfilled his love of the outdoors and animals. Following the reluctant sale of his business, Steven was forced to spend considerably more time indoors with restrictions on his outdoor independence - this has just changed thanks to the support of hi...

Mel Richards, 43 from Edinburgh is a remarkable lady. Despite living with an MS-like condition that causes walking difficulties she has been able to continue enjoying a varied lifestyle and is applying to Higher Education thanks to a  Supersport  mobility scooter. Mel, who is originally from Brisbane in Australia and able-bodied, came to the UK on holiday between semesters at the University of Queensland over 20 years ago. Having arrived and almost immediately broken an ankle on the unfamiliarly snowy streets, her stay has extended slightly beyond the original twelve weeks planned. With the injury almost resolved, Mel was offered a one-year office manager contract working in Stockport which subsequently progressed into a journalism career, writing for numerous computing magazines such as MacWorld, Internet Today and Secure Computing. This included another unexpected side trip onto the staff of a paranormal title working with Uri Geller and writing about ghosts, psychics and...

The Mobility Roadshow is returning in 2015 (25-27 June, Donington Park, Derby) to provide the most comprehensive lifestyle event of its kind in the UK, presenting mobility solutions for a wider range of consumers with restricted mobility to help achieve greater independence. The Mobility Roadshow is the UK’s premier consumer-focused event, showcasing products and services to help maintain independent mobility.  This unique national show, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2013, is organised by registered charity Mobility Choice.  For 2015 the Mobility Roadshow returns to Donington Park where visitors will have the rare opportunity to test drive adapted and wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) on the historic Donington Circuit, as well as experience the very latest innovations for independence. There is no other event that can offer such a range of vehicles for test-driving or products and services to see and compare – a unique oppo...

Susan Mallows, 51 from Romford, has  Multiple Sclerosis  (MS) and difficulties walking, however she has been able to continue enjoying shopping and exercising with the assistance of a pioneering new type of TGA mobility scooter. Susan is a lovely lady who was unfortunately diagnosed with MS aged 32. MS is a neurological condition that affects around 100,000 people in the UK and symptoms can include fatigue, vision problems and difficulties with walking. Susan's balance and walking problems meant she had to retire early from her secretarial career at the local council. Nevertheless she continued to support her busy husband Terry who also worked for the council as a public sector architect, hence how they met. Now both retired, the Mallows are making the most out of life with a love for shopping, gardening and holidays. Susan has used a mobility scooter for many years to remain mobile outdoors, however their level and range of freedom has recently increased thanks to a re...

Hi everyone, Hope you found the last post about the ignition and steering informative and entertaining, this post will continue with my  wheelchair accessible car driving adaptions , focusing on the “gear stick” and hand controls. I drive an automatic  Sirus I-Can VW Caddy   drive-from-wheelchair vehicle because this allows one hand to always be on the steering wheel and one hand to be used for accelerating and braking on the hand control. This means that I don’t have to change up and down the gears manually, the car does this automatically, hence the name!  There are 4 modes my wheelchair accessible vehicle can be put into – Park, which as suggested by the name, is used when parking, Reverse which is used when reversing, Neutral which can be used when stopping for a short time e.g. practising safely pulling over and then immediately driving off, Drive which is used when driving forward and Sport which I have not used yet, but apparently it makes the acc...