Adapted Vehicles With Vivek

Adult life does come with more responsibilities, independence and future planning regardless of ability. Finding employment or career opportunities does involve some travelling. Having a disability like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which requires complex care does make travelling more complicated but not impossible. Able-bodied people do not have as many issues to consider when travelling in comparison to disabled people who face barriers before they can even enjoy themselves.

September was a month where I was regularly on the road. On 20th September, I travelled to the Olympic Park in London to attend Channel 4’s ‘No Go Britain’ discussion & then on the 23rd I visited Birmingham to meet colleagues from the wonderful Limitless Travel. They aim to make travel/holidays as simple as possible for disabled people without all the barriers. I'm glad to start my journey with the CEO Angus Drummond & Editor Claudia Knight from Limitless Travel.

I always travel in my adapted VW Caddy from my Motability benefit. It has a manual ramp, two sliding side doors and a wheelchair lock-in system designed for my wheelchair. In the past my PA or Mum would have to manually clamp/unclamp me using 4 straps, it was such a hassle to do especially in the rain. The car has 4 seats + me but the left seat has been removed for space.

The List of equipment or care that I require on a day-to-day basis or whilst travelling on a long-distance journey:

Pain Medication – on a 4 hourly basis and administered via my gastrostomy (stomach tube) due to having weak swallowing muscles meaning I can easily choke.

Dedicated Medicine Bag - usually prepared the night before with pre-mixed doses of medication, 2 syringes and tissues to prevent my clothes from getting dirty.

Feed & Bag – I have a feed that provides me with all my required nutrients through my gastrostomy. It usually lasts for about 10+ hours. The feed pump is quite loud so when I leave the house I hide it in the bag attached to the back of my wheelchair.

CPAP Ventilator & Mask – I need to use my ventilator in the car because the chest strap I need to wear restricts my breathing. The added benefit is the ability to store energy for networking, speaking or enjoyment. It is a very heavy machine so I carry it around at the back of my wheelchair.

Inverter – allows the car to charge my ventilator which has a 4 hour battery life.

Conveen – a urine bag which is strapped to my leg underneath my trousers which holds 1000ml. The convene is a really important gadget for ease of travel, giving me control of when to use or empty it even in the vehicle.

Assistive Technology for my iPhone 5 & Arm – in the car I use a Jelly Bean Switch (the red button on my lap) to control my iPhone through a Hook+ switch Interface. The charity ReMap built the arm gadget that allows my mobile to be positioned at eye-level.