Getting there…

Have you often wondered about how a person in a wheelchair gets to the shops, appointments, events, etc?

Probably not!

Not a lot of people do, but the sad reality is, for a person in a wheelchair, there is alot of planning ahead that goes into what most able bodied people would consider a quick trip.

I dont know how many times my clients have said they could not attend an appointment due to having no way of getting there, often these appointments are important medical appointments. There have been times where they have made it to their appointment on time and spent the whole time waiting to see the doctor then leaving wihtout seeing the doctor due to their taxi arriving for pick up! 

Ive had clients in tears because the only available time is early in the morning which meant they would have to get up at ridiculous hours (providing they can get a support worker to come out that early) just to get ready and hopefully be able to get a wheelchair taxi to arrive on time to take them. 

There have been people stranded at home unable to make important appointments, occasions and events due to having no way of getting there. Most have booked wheelchair taxi’s ahead of time only for no taxi to show up on the day! 

A couple of years back there was a couple who had their 30 year anniversary event which had been planned well ahead of time, taxi booked, come the day of the event, they are both ready and dressed to go, one hour passed, an hour and a half, with numerous calls to the taxi company and to many taxi drivers, they were finally able to attend their event for only half an hour before they had to leave again. 

Ive heard stories of people being stranded at the shops, one client was left at the dentist and had to use his power wheelehcair to get home in the middle of a boiling hot day. 

The above are just a few stories of the obstacles faced by people who use a wheelchair when trying to get out on a daily basis. 

There is a need for more reliable wheelchair accessible transport services across the whole industry. Having the freedome to get to appointments, attend events without the stress of having to rush or worry whether someone will actually show up.