“I now feel totally independent when I’m on my own”

Karen has been a Sirus customer for eight months and drives a Ford Tourneo Connect Drive From Wheelchair / Upfront Passenger WAV. Karen has been driving for over 30 years, so her independence is essential.

“I love my Sirus Ford Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.  Its main purpose is to give me independence to enable me to visit family and friends, do shopping and other chores, and to support my adult son who has autism and ADHD.  However, it is also the family car, which we use for days out and holidays.  We recently took it for a weekend away, so it was our first test of loading the boot with luggage, taking my son on a long journey as a rear passenger, and of swapping drivers on the way.  It all worked wonderfully.

I now feel totally independent when I’m on my own.  If I am going somewhere with others, we invariably need to use my car, because I need my wheelchair.  When I’m driving people, I no longer feel like a burden because taking the wheelchair is no longer such a problem.  I generally used to be limited to ‘one stop’ when I went out, because the docking and undocking of the WAV was so difficult and uncomfortable I would not be physically able to go to two separate places, and so for example, I couldn’t go to the shops and then on to visit friends.

Driving Adaptations

My condition causes joint paint, dislocations and subluxations.  Sometimes my knees or hips are most painful, so I use hand controls, sometimes it is my shoulders, elbow or wrist, so I use the pedals. I also have a steering ball, an automatic wheelchair locking system, and an automatic boot open and close.

Entering and exiting

My Sirus Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle has lowering suspension, so the ramp is short and shallow.  Inside the car, the floor is completely level.  This means that entering and exiting my Ford WAV Car is easy and smooth.

Seating and storage

I have two fixed rear seats for passengers, and a proper boot for storing shopping or luggage.

In three words how would you describe your Sirus car? 

Freedom, independence, comfortable”.