Brisbane OT driver assessors were recently provided the opportunity to practice driving with vehicle mods with Total Ability and our specialised driving instructors, at the RACQ Mobility Centre at Mount Cotton.
Driving OTs frequently work with clients with physical injuries, conditions and disabilities which may impact their ability to use conventional vehicle controls independently and may need modifications to enable them to drive. There are a multitude of driving modifications available, including various types of spinner knobs, hand controls, left foot accelerator pedals, through to higher level / advanced modifications such as the mini wheel and joystick steering, and driving from wheelchair.
Driving OTs are skilled at assessing clients’ functional abilities and work together with the client and a suitable driving instructor, to work out what driving modification will best suit the client and their situation. The driving OT will also guide the client on the process that is required for them and support them with applying for funding for driving lessons and funding of the modifications, guide them through the licensing process, and explaining the engineering and compliance process.
What we are not necessarily skilled at, is actually driving with the modifications themselves!
Having a professional development day offline, in the company of our friends and colleagues, in a safe and supported environment to practice driving with the various vehicle mods on a closed track (no traffic!) was just invaluable.
Myself, Zoe and Amanda were all able to attend and between us, we practiced driving with:
- Fadiel e-radial hand control and spinner knob
- Fadiel trigger hand control and Lodgesons lollipop spinner knob
- Basic push-pat mechanical hand control and spinner knob
- Left satellite accelerator and right brake lever
- Left satellite accelerator and left Fadiel easy drive brake (I didn’t think this would be do-able, but after a client demonstrated this with ease, I was up to the challenge and yes it certainly can be done!)
- Left mini-wheel advanced electronic steering and right two-way joystick (brake/accelerator) drive from wheelchair
- Left foot accelerator (for me, this is still the hardest way to drive – I am not coordinated with my feet at all)
- Four-way joystick (brake, accelerator and steering all-in-one) drive from wheelchair – I was not game to test this one out… kudos to the driving OTs that did.
Biggest takeaways for our team were:
- it was useful to remember the functional components required to drive with each of the modification types
- “unlearning” of our standard recommendation – the technology and techniques have advanced and grown, so our previous go-to (which still works) might not be the only option.
- There are so many options, that it is really up to what suits the client best, and that they may need several trials to settle on the right modification for them.
Sharing a huge congratulations again to Paul Crake and his team at Total Ability once again for their efforts which were rewarded at the May ATSA conference in Brisbane, with Paul taking out not one, but three awards for:
- Commitment to Excellence (shout out too to Ali Akbarian at Mobility Engineering – sponsor of the Drive-Able podcast
- 2024 Industry Person of the Year
- 2024 Supplier / Manufacturer of the year
Total Ability have dedicated time and resources to supporting the driving and disability industry and have developed several resources to assist clients and OTs understand the vehicle mods process.
For anyone needing vehicle modifications to return to driving, there will be an involved process that will likely include:
- OT driving assessment (including a clinical and practical on-road assessment; multiple trials may be necessary to find the best option)
- OT driving assessment report and recommendations for funding
- Driving lessons with the driving instructor to develop competency and safety – “is this consistent and reliable?”
- Applying for vehicle modifications funding (eg to the NDIS, NIISQ, i-Care, TAC, HCP)
- Completing an on-road re-assessment / handover assessment upon completion of the modifications, and a post-modification report.
Helping drivers return to driving or learn to drive with vehicle mods is one of our favourite things to do – that handover day to see a client driving away with their vehicle and regaining their independence, is absolutely magical to us.
If you need assistance with returning to driving, please check out our website or make a referral!
