Herts Ability and a Driving Assessment Grant get Brian motoring again

At 73, Brian Phillips from Flitwick in Bedfordshire, has kept his independence thanks to essential car adaptations funded by a Driving Assessment Grant (DAG) and the support of Herts Ability, part of the Driving Mobility network.

Brian, a retired electrical contractor now lives with his daughter Lisa. His wife of 40 years sadly passed away five years ago.  Driving has been a part of Brian’s life for 53 years. He used to drive around the UK for work and since retirement, it has helped him remain independent. Two years ago, Brian had two transient ischemic attacks (TIA) and has gradually lost the use of his left hand. Brian swapped his manual transmission car for an automatic, but his daughter Lisa was still concerned about his driving.

Lisa found the Herts Ability ‘fitness to drive’ assessment centre on-line and got in touch to see if they could help. The admin team at Herts Ability booked an assessment for Brian at their Luton satellite centre, where he met Sarah Wright (occupational therapist) and James Hinkins (lead driving assessor).  Brian’s assessment went well. He was introduced to a steering aid, with a remote keypad for the secondary controls and within minutes grasped the concept.

Brian completed the assessment safely and described the drive as ‘brilliant and fun’, stating that James had even helped to improve his driving standard.  Once the assessment was complete, Brian set out to have his own car adapted but, the cost was too high and, without the DAG, he would have struggled to find the funds.

The DAG provided by Driving Mobility have been funded by Motability Foundation. The DAG grants assist disabled drivers who are not Motability Scheme customers. The grant can help towards the costs of a driving assessment, vehicle adaptations and familiarisation lessons at a Driving Mobility Centre.

Brian filled in a brief application form with the help of James and, within days, his grant application was approved. Brian says that with the help of Herts Ability, Driving Mobility and this very generous grant, he can maintain his independence. “I would like to thank all the wonderful staff at Herts Ability for their outstanding service. Their knowledge, professionalism and care are clear to see. I’d recommend Driving Mobility’s network of Mobility Centres, such as Herts Ability, to anyone needing support with their independence and would urge them not to feel nervous”

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