No two situations are alike, even if they have the same level of injury. Each person’s functional ability differs. There are many moving parts following an injury that has caused paralysis, including potential recovery of some of your abilities (weeks or months) following your injury, wheelchair (s), muscle spasms, medical changes and medications. Timing is critical and driving as wells as passenger needs should be discussed early on in your rehabilitation, so that all decisions including vehicle selection are considered carefully with an expert in the field. The following are some examples of auto adaptive equipment that could be prescribed for someone with a spinal cord injury.
- Special steering orthosis
- Reduced effort steering systems
- Hand controls for operation of gas/brake (high or low tech options)
- Adapted secondary controls (i.e. blinker, horn, dimmer, windshield wipers)
- An emergency break extension
- Automatic transmission
- Wheelchair lift
- Wheelchair docking system
- Chest strap
- Ramp accessible vehicle
- Transfer platform.
If you have suffered an injury resulting in paralysis be sure to have a conversation with your physician and your rehab team about a referral to see a driving rehab specialist about what options may be available for your situation.
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