Assistive Accessories For Your Car

car adaptation with hand controlsDriving your own car does have its benefits.  The main one being that you have reliable transportation to get to your job, school or to do other various activities.  You will also have space to hold your items and will be protected from the weather.  For anyone with a disability or drivers who are experiencing changes with their vision, flexibility, strength, or range of motion there are various alterations that you can make that will optimize your driving performance and safety.

Anyone looking to add adaptive vehicle devices to their vehicle will benefit from a driving assessment.  Typically an occupational therapist will recommend equipment and a Vehicle Adaptor.

The Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland (DDAI) and the Irish Wheelchair Association both provide useful Information for choosing the right vehicle, the Irish Tax relief scheme, and Adaptations & Equipment that can be obtained.

Choosing the right vehicle is important as small differences in the shape and size of such things as doors or seats can make a big difference to how easy it is to get in and out of a particular car.

The Drivers and Passengers with Disabilities – Tax relief scheme is open to persons who meet the specified medical criteria.  Relief in respect of Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and Value Added Tax (VAT) may be obtained.

A typical adaption could be installing hand controls for brake and accelerator function or modifying seats to allow them to swivel 90 degrees to allow ease of entry/exit of the vehicle.

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) maintains a Register of all Licensed Adaptors

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