Motoring with cerebral palsy
You will be able to use a car and probably drive it too if you have cerebral palsy, whether the effects are mild or severe. This guide should help you to choose a model with built-in features that will be easier to use. It also covers the specialist products and techniques which can overcome physical disabilities that you may have.
Product prices should be used for guidance only. If you can, shop around and talk to different firms as prices vary. At the back there are contact details for sources of expert advice.
More detailed information on choosing and using a car can be found in the Ricability guides below.
- Choosing a car
Things to think about if you have a disability; details of features that may help you; ways of adapting a car to suit you..jpg)
- Car controls
In depth information on types of adaptations and how to get them. It covers simple and more complex conversions
- Getting a wheelchair into a car
A run down of equipment to help you stow or carry a wheelchair, including hoists, racks and trailers
- Getting in and out of a car
Techniques that may help as you get older; helpful equipment and details of various lifting systems if you need more help
Driving with cerebral palsy
Legal requirements
When applying for a driving licence or car insurance, you must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and your insurance company that you have cerebral palsy. You must also tell them whenever your ability to drive changes significantly and the insurance company must be informed of any car adaptations. The DVLA will ask for your permission to contact your GP or hospital consultant for more information on your condition. From this the DVLA decides if you are fit to drive. There are a number of possible outcomes.
You may be issued with a full licence, a time-limited licence (for later review) or with a licence to drive suitably adapted vehicles only. If you are affected by epilepsy and the fits are controlled by medication, you will not be licensed to drive until a clear year after a fit.
Another likely outcome is that the DVLA will require you to attend a Mobility Centre for an assessment - see Plan of action.
For further information on getting a driving licence, go to www.dvla.gov.uk or get What you need to know about driving licences (D100) from a post office.
Effects of cerebral palsy
The cause of cerebral palsy (cp) is most commonly the failure of a part of the brain to develop, before birth or in early childhood. This can be through a range of illnesses or complications in pregnancy, labour or early childhood. Occasionally cp is due to an inherited disorder, but this is rare. It is a non- progressive condition, but over the years you may have physical changes - through older age for example.
There are three main types of cp which correspond with the part of the brain that is injured. With spastic cp, some muscles become stiff and weak and can affect your control of movement. With athetoid cp, there will be some difficulty controlling your posture and a tendency to make unwanted movements. With ataxic cp, you will usually have balance problems and possibly also shaky hand movements and irregular speech. The effects of cp can range from extremely mild, where there may be a slight muscle stiffness in one limb, through to a profound disability affecting all limbs.
For some people, the parts of the brain affected result in sight, hearing, perception and learning difficulties. To drive you must be able to read a standard size number plate (with glasses or lenses if necessary) from 20.5 metres (67 feet) or 20 metres (65 feet) where narrower characters are used. An eye specialist - an orthoptist or ophthalmologist - will need to assess and treat any visual impairment you have.
With any sensory or cognitive effects, it is important that you go to a Mobility Centre for a full assessment of the different skills you need to drive safely. No two people with cp are affected in the same way and the assessment and adaptations need to be geared to your particular needs.
For more information on cerebral palsy, contact the Scope Response at Scope.
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