Heavy doors can even be a challange for mothers with pushchairs and baby buggies.

Some banks have heavy doors that can be difficult to push open on your own, especially if the entrance and exit is made up of two narrow doors which can be awkward if you’re trying to gain access in a wheelchair, mobility scooter, or are using crutches or a walking stick(s)

When actually inside and ready to exit it can often be a bit easier if observant staff spot that you might appreciate some assistance while leaving, but often this is still after you have struggled in the first place to gain accesss to a bank and other businesses that may have these heavy and difficult to push open doors.

Although many businesses have improved accessibility, there is still room for improvement, especially as mobility scooters are a much more common sight on the streets.

Well at least there wont be any weather related problems tomorrow and with the weather chat out of the way i would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy christmas, i hope that you have a great time during the holidays, whatever you are doing and whoever you are spending time with.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

Best Wishes

John

I have noticed that some of the categories have more content than others and over the coming months i would like to balance that out a bit by writing more content for each category that has less content than some of the others.

As you might have noticed. there is quite a lot in the Mobility Scooters category, but the Adjustable Beds, Child Mobility Aids, Lift Chairs, Motability, and Stair Lifts categories need a bit of time and attention so i hope that by publicly mentioning it here that i will make a commitment to filling those out, if you see me lagging behind then dont hesitate to let me know.

The Motability category was the most recent to be added so it’s not suprising that it’s looking a little lean, but the others have been in place for a while and definately need more content within them.

I hope that you continue to enjoy using the site and if you have any suggestions you can contact me.

They also come in handy for people with pushchairs, those using wheelchairs and anyone that has difficulty stepping down or up onto different levels so its not like they only serve one group of people.

Many neighbourhoods are served well, also some town and city areas but many are not and although it may not seem like it would have much of an effect, to many it can make quite a difference between a fairly easy and pleasant time or one that takes quite a bit longer with unwanted detours

Its understandable that a neighbourhood, or a town or city layout will probably not have been built with mobility scooters and wheelchairs in mind, at least the older and more established areas, the fact that certain areas may be lacking with regards to accomodating people with mobility needs is usually not a case of ignorance of local councils, after all some streets, buildings and the way some areas were planned out years ago dont always lend themselves to a quick modification that suddenly makes a pavement or access to a building easy.

How is the situation where you live? Do you have enough suitably placed dropped kerbs in your neighbourhood? And if you travel though your local village, town or city do you have difficulties with finding a suitable area of the pavement to cross roads?

Please share your veiws by commenting.

Some people who might never have imagined themselves needing to use anything other than their own will and intent might have unexpectedly found their life changed quite quickly, from british troops who have returned injured from their time abroad, to people hurt in road or work related accidents and people being diagnosed with life changing and mobility altering conditions and diseases.

Many people are fiercely independent and for some the mere mention of beginning to use mobility aids might result in aggression and disapproval, not only from younger people but older people too who feel proud and used to doing things their way, when they want to without looking towards people or objects for assistance.

Its completely understandable that someone might not want to begin using any type of mobility aid because some might see it as giving something up, or giving in to the condition that they are living with or accepting a dramatic change that happend in their life that has lead to the need for mobility aids.

But mobility aids actually enhance and improve the quality of life for you, from allowing you to move around your home better to getting outdoors more and allowing for exercise too that might otherwise be too difficult.

Whatever you use, it will mostly enhance and bring improvement, depending on your mobility needs there is usually improved independance from using them, after all no one should expect you to give up any of your independance and if what you use means that you can do more by yourself then thats clearly a good thing.

There are often cases of children who once they have received and are using the right kind of powerchair for their needs they suddenly bloom, the difference that it makes to their daily life can be quite significant.

Even at a young age they notice the difference, there is much improvement and as most people want to be able to do things for themselves its natural that a child will begin to show signs of increased development with the right powerchair.

From very young children to adults of all ages there are a lot of benefits that can be experienced from the use of a mobility aid and although you may at first want to avoid using them, often there is a positive change in thinking as you begin to embrace their use and feel that it can be quite liberating.

Some examples of the searches that i have seen include:

Why has my mobility scooter stopped working?

Mobility scooter not moving

Why does my mobility scooter not work?

Quite often a search like this will make it more difficult to find an answer to the problem that you are experiencing because it is too general and doesn’t mention anything about the make and model of the mobility scooter that you are having a problem with.

I receive questions through the contact form about specific mobility scooters, if i am unable to provide an answer then i can publish the question in the questions and answers category on this very site, and the questions can be about other mobility aids too, adjustable beds, stairlifts etc

There is no guarantee of an answer being provided by others but it helps to get it posted on the site as it increases you chances of receiving a suitable and helpful answer to your problem.

If you do have a problem with a mobility aid then it helps to provide as much information as you can about the make and model of the product that you own and also about the actual problem that you are experiencing with your mobility aid, including when it happens and things like that.

If you are performing a search then naturally what you type into a search engine might include a handful of words, but if you are contacting me with a question then providing plenty of information will help in trying to provide you with the answer, especially if i publish it on the site.

Once a question is published on the site, and even better when it gets answered it can benefit many people in the future that might find themselves looking for an answer to the same problem at some point.

When it comes to receiving help from a member of the public, especially when you haven’t requested it there can be times when although a person means well you might simply not want assistance from them.

Plenty of people with mobility needs still prefer to do as much as they can themselves, for some it might be pride, determination, a desire to be as active as possible, to be as independant as you can.

Some people dont like too much fussing, maybe you dont want too much attention brought to yourself, theres the possibility of someone going too far, i dont believe that a person can be too kind or too polite but maybe go futher than most people would expect, or be comfortable with, especially as the other person will often be a complete stranger.

How do you feel about random help from members of the public? Whether its holding a door for you or something else.

Do you get asked if you would like assistance with something first or at times has someone gone straight ahead and attempted to help you without first checking with you?

Although there can be good reason to change the rules of what is allowed to be taken inside a building, sometimes the reasons might be vague or confusing if you see some people still allowed to take their mobility scooter or wheelchair inside or taken to certain parts inside a building.

Its understandable that you might be confused or even frustrated as to why you can no longer take yours inside and some places might do very little to actually explain why the rules have changed.

There is even the possibility of there being no good reason at all for them to have suddenly stopped allowing them in and to be used inside.

Any place that has previously allowed full access to mobility scooters and wheelchairs should be fully explaining to those affected by any change, either verbally, in writing or preferably both, this also helps to prevent any confusion over who and what is allowed access to a building and if there are any exceptions to this then it should be made as clear as possible to avoid any upset to anyone.

It is perfectly ok for rules to be changed regarding access but those setting any new rules should definately do everything that they can to make it as clear as possible why it is happening, who it will affect and even whether it is a temporary change or intended to be permanent.

You can read more about the Father and son mobility scooter conmen jailed

The majority of mobility aid dealers are very decent and offer advice and sell products that are most suited to a persons needs but unfortunately there are those like the father and son team who are out to take advantage of vulnerable people and seem to have no concern about anyone else but themselves.

Fortunately trading standards officers moved in on these two and put a stop to it but of course not before a number of people had becomes victims of these two men.

If you read the full article you will find that this is not the only mobility company that are trading in an unethical way and although this type of situation is not exclusive of mobility aid dealers it is quite sad that there are firms out there that are willing to take advantage of people who are often already in a difficult situation.

There are many types of businesses where pushy sales people will do everything they can to try and make a sale, they become almost like predators, from cold calling, to using pressure tactics once they have a conversation going and of course in some situations not even delivering products that have been paid for.

While its normal within business for a company to work hard at securing business and for sales people to work hard at getting a sale (theres nothing wrong with that) the difference between the ethical and unethical companies and people within them is that the ethical ones will then follow through professionally to ensure that the customer is treated appropriately, receives the product and quality of service that they paid for and is not sold something that they dont need or dont want in the first place.

The unethical ones, well we know what they are like, profits come first for them, unfortunately the customer to them is most likely not seen as a customer but a target which they will focus on with precision until they have got their hands on the persons money.

Always be on your guard to companies that phone you out of the blue, dont agree to unwanted appointments at your own home, when possible you should find out what you can about them and try and record as much details about them as you can.

Family and friends should be aware of this danger too and be alert to any unexpected calls, visits or funds taken from relatives or friends bank accounts.

While people like the father and son mentioned will exist in other parts of the country, a constant battle against this type of thing will not eradicate it but minimise the amount of people that get taken advantage of by these types of firms.

Fortunately trading standards do have the power to go in and make a difference and the fact that these two men were jailed goes to show that it gets taken seriously enough when people like them get caught.

Be aware as a user and buyer of mobility aids, and for those close to people with mobility needs you can keep an eye out for anything that seems not quite right, and dont hesitate to contact trading standards when a mobility aid firm is breaking the law.

The Motability scheme takes care of many motoring duties such as tax, breakdown assistance and tyre and windscreen repair. However, as with buying any new car, there is still a fairly extensive list of choices to be made. At present, the scheme offers over 4000 different cars, including several hundred mobility cars. Before looking at individual brands, it can be useful to think about your personal needs. If your budget is fairly restrictive, over 300 Motability vehicles offer a choice of nil advance payment. To save money in the long term, it’s also important to consider models which will be inexpensive to insure, and the possibility of a diesel over a petrol engine, which can reward you in future months with savings on fuel costs. Financial constraints must be balanced with lifestyle requirements. Your mobility car should enable you to park easily, and with maximum visibility, accommodate equipment, pets and people, get in and out quickly and safely, and, if necessary, fit a wheelchair.

Once you have a rough idea of what to expect from your mobility car, it can be worth having a conversation with someone in an approved Motability dealership. Not only will they be able to help with answering any queries, but many dealerships offer the option of a home visit. This will give you the opportunity to get hands on with the vehicle, and experience a demonstration of its features. Getting up close also exposes any flaws or issues which need to be addressed; after all, a vehicle needs to feel right to both its driver and passenger. It will give you the opportunity to discuss the necessary adaptations needed to make your car as comfortable and practical as required.

For a great chance to try out many wheelchair accessible vehicles in one place, and discover new industry innovations and advancements, there are organised events and exhibitions. In May, such an event held in the Glasgow Exhibition and Conference centre showcased over 90 models offered on the Motability Scheme, all in one place. There really is no better way to experience the assortment of styles, shapes, and sizes on offer. Short of this, there are dealerships all over the UK, and planning a day trip will benefit any potential buyers who need help with their decision.