Customer stories
Here are a few stories from customers who have regained their freedom to move from the services that RDAC provides.
Curtis
Curtis came to us for an assessment following a traumatic brain injury after an accident on his mountain bike. Following this life changing accident he has had to learn to walk and talk again.
On his first assessment with us the team decided that he wasn’t yet ready to return to driving and they recommended that he had a course of tuition. This was to assess if his injury had prevented him driving all together or if it was a case of having to re-learn the fundamentals of driving.
Curtis completed 6 hours of tuition with Dominic at our RDAC Driving School and was re-assessed by the team, successfully demonstrating his fitness to drive! Well done Curtis, what an amazing achievement, we’re all so proud!
Carol
Carol was referred to us for a driving assessment following a brain haemorrhage. Our team in Scunthorpe had the pleasure of assessing Carol who came along with her supportive friend Ann.
Carol was in intensive care for 8 weeks and has had to work very hard on her rehabilitation to improve her physical and cognitive skills. She still experiences fatigue, but her stamina has improved sufficiently for her to consider returning to independent driving.
Carol said, ‘I feel great being able to get back behind the wheel and feel like I’m finally getting my life back’.
Well done Carol, you’ve made an incredible recovery and your strength and determination is amazing!
Isabella
Isabella, 20, from Hyde in Manchester suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as well as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Functional Neurological Disorder. This means that her joints easily dislocate, specifically her knees and hips. She can also have significant pain and swelling in her joints. The Functional Neurological Disorder can cause her to wake up unable to move her legs meaning she has limited use of her lower body.
Izzie came to us for an assessment to establish what adaptations she would require to enable her to learn to drive. She trialled push/pull hand controls with an integrated indicator, and steering ball and we found these were the most suited to her needs.
Following the assessment Izzie completed lessons with Dominic at our Driving School and subsequently went on to pass her driving test on the first attempt.
James
James has applied for a Motability car through his Personal Independence Payment, and he has our recommendations which will be used to specify the right adaptations so he can drive safely. James already has plans for how this is going to improve his life: “Having a car will make a massive difference to us. I’ll be able to take my boys further afield as they love to be out kicking a football and we can go and see my mum in the Scottish Borders. On a day-to-day basis, we won’t have to get taxis everywhere and I can help my elderly neighbours more with their shopping. Shopping at the minute is hard as I struggle to walk and carry bags so have to keep stopping. However, I carried on during lockdown to help my neighbours who can’t get out.”
James is optimistic about the future and is so grateful for the support of RDAC. He recommends its services to all with driving challenges, as he concludes: “RDAC are one excellent organisation!
