Are Some Cars More Disabled-Friendly Than Others?
I’m not driving obviously, but the Jaguar did need its little check on oil, water and windscreen washer fluid.
I did it with ease and all the locks, levers and caps came to hand and were easily released with one hand. So has one car manufacturer thought about design for everybody, who might use their vehicles? Some of the new electronic systems I’ve seen in new cars, seem to have been designed by computer gamers, who have no idea how those over fifty think and behave! In any designs I have created, I have hopefully always taken the profile of the user into account. It’s rule one in design.
The Anonymous Widower 
After my accident I found my manual transmission car difficult because changing gear made the pain worse, so I switched to automatic. I now drive a Honda Jazz automatic, and I love it. I also know that a lot of drivers who are disabled themselves or who drive around people who are disabled have a Honda Jazz. I dont know whether it was designed with disability in mind, but it has lots of really useful features. Especially, it has lots of options for transporting things such a wheelchairs and mobility scooters. And all the caps and fastens are easy to manage, although I dont do my own oil checks etc, as my hands are so unsteady I would spill the oil!
However, I think which car is right for a particular individual with a disability probably depends a lot on the actual disability which the person has.
Comment by Liz P | June 27, 2010 |