VIDEO: UK’s first Driving Mobility centre celebrates 40th anniversary with Assessment Open Day
Disability charity Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) will be celebrating 40 years since opening as the UK’s first Driving Mobility Assessment Centre.
Since opening in 1982 the charity has supported over 200,000 people with mobility advice and provided 35,000 assessments and more than 30,000 hours of tuition.
On 24th March, QEF Mobility Services in Carshalton, South London, is holding a free-to-attend Open Day offering mobility assessments for adults and children to help people increase their independence.
QEF is part of Driving Mobility, the national charity that is supported by the Department for Transport. Driving Mobility accredits over 20 centres, many with outreach facilities, that provide ‘fitness-to-drive’ and mobility equipment assessments.
With its own specialist driving school, QEF last year announced that it had partnered with Specialist Vehicle Rental, a supplier of specially adapted lease and rental vehicles.
QEF’s Open Day will be packed with helpful information with specialist exhibitors demonstrating the latest mobility equipment, and James Fremantle, Manager for Consumer Policy and Enforcement at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, will be officially opening the event.
Experts at QEF will be offering a range of free mini assessments for children and adults, including offering the opportunity to experience driving an adapted car on its own private track, a Tryb4uFly assessment in a mock aircraft cabin, wheelchair and mobility scooter assessments, as well as advice on transfer and seating solutions.
Children’s assessments will include car seats and Bugzi – a mini powered wheelchair that will be provided free of charge from partner charity MERU.
As part of this event visitors will be able to see QEF’s and the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s new series of films around Flying with a Hidden Disability, providing practical advice and information on how to fly with confidence if you have, or are travelling with someone who has, dementia, aphasia, a stoma or autism.
These unique films have been developed with the support of specialist charities including Livability, Alzheimer’s Society, Colostomy UK and Dyscover.
Each film features the story of individuals with these specific hidden disabilities and their experiences of how to travel by air, as well as useful information on what you need to prepare in advance, arrival at the airport and going through security.
They are a continuation of QEF’s and the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s ground-breaking first film How to fly as a Powered Wheelchair User which is available to watch below.
