At Herts Ability we are proud to support people living with Multiple Sclerosis!
Did you know? MS Awareness Week 2024 runs from 22 – 28 April. It’s a chance for us to raise awareness and speak up together about the realities of life with MS!
Living with MS or receiving a diagnosis of MS can cause many concerns about how to continue living and enjoying life as you always have and always deserve too.
There are so many questions for people who live with MS.
As MS can affect people physically and cognitively one of the concerns some have is their ability to drive and continue driving safely.
At Herts Ability, we are proud to support people living with MS and have done for many years.
Our Driving Assessment teams will always give a warm welcome to you at our centres.
We’ll listen to your concerns, worries and fears regarding driving and daily independence.
The Assessment will be led by an Occupational Therapist and a DVSA Approved Driving Instructor.
The team will check your eyesight first.
Following this, a brief chat in the office will give the team an indication of what support you might need.
We’ll then see what we can do about driving!
Using a large fleet of modern, dual controlled, specially adapted cars, we will look for the correct method of car control for now and try to future proof your driving, as much as we can.
Of course, learning a new method of car control could take some time and practice.
This is where the Herts Ability Driving School can help!
Following the recommendations of your assessment, our Specialist Approved Driving Instructors will support you in becoming familiar with the new controls and give you ample time to become proficient.
Finally, we’ll help you communicate with the DVLA by supplying a full written report!
Congratulations to Carol on MS Awareness Week 2024!
We have many clients like Carol Carlin from Bucks who have now been passed fit to drive, thanks to the support of our Occupational Therapists and Driving Instructors!
Here’s what Carol had to say about the service we provided:
“I will always be grateful to Herts Ability for helping me get my independence back and giving me the confidence to use an adapted car.
I’ve told lots of people about your organisation!
I am a 61 year old woman and I suffer from MS.
About 14 years ago I had to switch from a manual car to an automatic as I lost the feeling in my left foot.
However, in July 2020 I began losing the feeling in my right foot and so had to stop driving altogether.
I lost some of my independence and was reliant on my husband or other family members to take me to places such as work, medical appointments etc.
Around 12 months ago I accepted my legs were not going to improve so I started to look at adaptive vehicles.
At this point I found out about Herts Ability and made contact with them.
From the initial contact with Tara to my first visit and assessment with James, I was immediately put at ease and felt I was starting the road to my independence again!
I successfully passed my assessment and was able to get my car adapted and have now started to drive again!
James, my driving instructor, was so patient and understanding whilst I got used to the new adaptations.
I am really grateful to all the team.
Thank you for all you’ve done; it’s great to be driving again!
Herts Ability has literally given me back my independence – I am so grateful to all your staff!”
By the way… if you have a physical impairment and you want to try driving with a different method of vehicle control, with Herts Ability you’ll be given the opportunity to drive vehicles fitted with adaptations! Our aim is to help YOU get back on the road. Please call us on 01707 324 581 or email driving@hertsability.org.uk for more information!
