Getting a wheelchair into a car (view report contents)

Mobility Centres

Mobility Centres give practical and independent advice and assessment to disabled drivers and passengers. They will assess your ability to drive, advise you about vehicles that might suit you and about any adaptations you may need. They are well informed on motoring and disability issues generally. Talk to them about any mobility problems you have. Each centre has expert and friendly staff who are likely to have met and solved similar problems before. They are non-commercial and impartial.

There are 20 Mobility Centres in the UK. They vary in size and in the services they offer.

17 are accredited by the Forum of Mobility Centres and have certain minimum standards, these are indicated by . Services these centres offer are:

Key

I free information service

D advice on choosing a vehicle, driving it, driving controls and learning to drive

P assessment and advice about getting in and out of vehicles, loading of wheelchairs and other equipment

W advice on selecting and using a wheelchair or scooter

T driving tuition for new drivers, people returning to driving and those who will be using different controls

A fitting adaptations for drivers or passengers

Forum of Mobility Centres

Freephone: 0800 559 3636
enquiries@mobility-centres.org.uk
www.mobility-centres.org.uk

National information service on driving, devices and vehicle adaptations
Location of all independent, accredited Mobility Centres

Click below to find a centre:

Birmingham
Bristol
Cornwall
Derbyshire
Devon
Hertfordshire
Kent
Lancashire
Leeds
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Norfolk
Oxfordshire
Shropshire
Surrey
Northern Ireland
Scotland
Wales
North Wales
South Wales

Birmingham

Regional Driving Assessment Centre
Tel: 0845 337 1540
email: Paula.Beagan@sbpct.nhs.uk

Services: I D P T

Bristol

Mobility Service of the Disabled Living Centre
(West of England)
Tel: 0117 965 9353
Fax: 0117 965 3652
e-mail: mobserv@dlcbristol.org
www.dlcbristol.org
Services: I D P W T

Cornwall

Cornwall Mobility Centre
Tel: 01872 254920
Fax: 01872 254921
e-mail: mobility@rcht.cornwall.nhs.uk
www.cornwallmobilitycentre.co.uk
Services: I D P W T A

Derbyshire

Derby DrivAbility (Derby Regional Mobility Centre)
Tel: 01332 371929
Fax: 01332 382377
e-mail: driving@derbyhospitals.nhs.uk
www.derbydrivability.com
Services: I D P T

Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire Action on Disability
Mobility Centre
Tel: 01707 324581
Fax: 01707 371297
e-mail: driving@hadnet.org.uk
www.hadnet.org.uk

Services: I D P WT

Kent

DART Driving Assessment and Advice Centre
(Kent)
Tel: 01622 795719
Fax: 01622 795720
e-mail: julie.chatburn@nhs.net

Services: I D P

Lancashire

Wrightington Mobility Centre (Lancashire)
Tel/Fax: 01257 256409
e-mail:mobilitycentre@alwpct.nhs.uk

Services: I D P

Leeds

William Merrit Disabled Living Centre
& Mobility Service (Leeds)
Tel/text: 0113 305 5288
Fax: 0113 231 9291
e- mail: mobility.service@nhs.net
www.williammerrittleeds.org

Services: I D P W

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Mobility Centre
(Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
Tel: 0191 219 5694
Fax: 0191 219 5693
email: mobilitycentrenewcastle@nap.nhs.uk
www.nap.nhs.uk/snrs/index.html

Services: I D P

Norfolk

Kilverstone Mobility Assessment Centre
(Norfolk)
Tel: 01842 753029
Fax: 01842 755950
e-mail: mail@kmacmobil.org.uk
www.kmacmobil.org.uk

Services: I D P W T

Oxfordshire

Oxford Mobility Centre
Oxford Driving Assessment Service
Tel: 01865 767777
Fax: 01865 737400
e-mail: louise@oxfordmobilitycentre.org

Services: I D P W T

Shropshire

Mobility Information Service
National Mobility Centre
20 Burton Close
Dawley
Telford TF4 2BX
Tel: 01743 340269
e-mail: mis@nmcuk.freeserve.co.uk
www.mis.org.uk

Surrey

Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation
Mobility Centre (Surrey)
Tel: 020 8770 1151
Fax: 020 8770 1211
e-mail: info@mobility-qe.org
www.qefd.org/mobilitycentre
Services: I D P W T

Northern Ireland

Mobility Centre
(Northern Ireland)
Tel: 028 9029 7880
Fax: 028 9029 7881
Textphone: 028 9029 7882
e-mail: mobility@disabilityaction.org
www.disabilityaction.org

Services: I D P T

Scotland

Scottish Driving Assessment Service
Tel: 0131 537 9192
Fax: 0131 537 9193
email: marlene.mackenzie@lpct.scot.nhs.uk

Services: I D P

Wales

North Wales

North Wales Mobility and Driving Assessment Service
Tel: 01745 584858
Fax: 01745 535042
e-mail: alexbarr@btconnect.com
Services: I D P W T A

South Wales

South Wales Disabled Drivers Assessment Centre
Tel/Fax: 029 2055 5130
e-mail: helen@wddac.co.uk
Services: I D P

Mobility Roadshows

Mobility Roadshows have a wide range of adapted cars to see and test drive, as well as mobility products and services and some manufacturers are on hand to give demonstrations. Admission is free. It takes place annually in England and every 2 years in Scotland. They are organised by Mobility Choice. Contact them for dates of future shows:

Mobility Choice
Tel : 0845 241 0390
Fax : 0870 770 3277
e-mail: choice@gtnet.gov.uk
www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk

Contact Disability Action for details of the Belfast Independent Living Show:

Disability Action
Tel: 028 9029 7880
Fax: 028 9029 7881
Textphone: 028 9029 7882
e-mail: marketing@disabilityaction.org
www.disabilityaction.org

Report Contents

Introduction
Which Type?
Wheelchair hoists
Using the hoists
Travelling with a hoist
Installation, safety and maintenance
Transferring first
Using a hoist for a manual chair – a pictorial guide
Buying guide
What to Look for Checklist
Powered chair hoist summaries

Summaries of hoists for manual chairs

Rooftop Hoists
Safety & Maintenance
Rooftop hoist summaries

Buying guide
Other ways of carrying a wheelchair
Racks and containers

Buying guide
Trailers
Specially built trailers
Ramps
Finance
Helpful organisations
Mobility Centres
Suppliers