Driving with a limb difference.

From a young age I was told that I “couldn’t drive a normal car”. That I would need adaptions. This is not something that I ever challenged as I was a child and it wasn’t a relevant topic at the time. However It did demotivate me to push for lessons when I hit legal age. 

When I finally decided it was time to get some freedom I started my research. I didn’t want to have anything unnecessary. As I have already explained I am quite resistant to the idea of adaptions as I believe I can overcome most things myself. However the information out there is pretty damning. Both the UK Government and current charities all point towards adaptive driving for anyone with a slight limb difference. so I had no other options in my mind.

So I found an ‘adaptive’ instructor and when she took one look at me she prescribed over £2000 worth of adaptions. She ruled out the option of driving a manual. She put me in a box and I felt I didn’t have any say about it. I knew that I was able to do far more than she gave me the opportunity to show. After a few lessons I couldn’t do it any more. Her attitude towards me felt very prejudice and it impacted my confidence not only behind the wheel but in life. Im not used to hearing people tell me I cant do this or that and as soon as they do my only mission is to prove that person wrong.

So my husband contacted his previous driving instructor and he came around to meet me and assess my ability to reach all the functions in the car. I sat in the drivers seat and positioned myself close enough to the wheel so I could use my arm to steer. After the assessment he was adamant that he could teach me how to drive a manual with no adaptions.

Luckily he turned out to be on the board for the local driving instructor association so he raised my situation with them and they confirmed that I had to ability to pass my driving test with no adaptions. It was just down to my driving skills after that!

Hours of lessons followed and after one failed test (completely unrelated to my arm!) I passed my driving test in a manual. No adaptions! I couldn’t have been happier.

The reason I wanted to share this is that there will be many people out there that have either been through the same or are about to and don’t necessarily need the adaptions that society assumes they do. In my case adaptions were prescribed by a professional who didn’t know my true ability.  Someone who saw nothing but the “disability”.

If someone tells you that you can’t, and in your heart you know you can, challenge it.

No matter the task. You shouldn’t be put in a box by someone else. Only you know your true ability. Always follow your gut and remember – nothing is impossible.