UW Medical Center Disabled Drivers Program seeks donations to buy new adapted van

The Seattle Foundation has awarded the UW Medical Center Disabled Drivers Program $25,000 to use toward the purchase of a new adapted van. The program offers driver evaluation and training to clients with a wide range of disabilities, including spinal cord injury, amputation, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis.

The Diabled Drivers Program needs to replace its 13-year-old van, shown here in a photo taken several years ago.

When adults become disabled through injury or illness, restoring the ability to drive can be an important key to restoring independence and quality of life. For those born with disabilities, or who acquire them in childhood, learning to drive can be a vital step toward taking charge of their own lives.

A person with minor physical impairments may need only small modifications in order to drive - a knob attached to their car’s steering wheel, or hand controls for the accelerator and brake. But many people with more severe limitations can also become safe drivers with the aid of new adaptive technology and proper training in a fully equipped van.

Unfortunately, a van that’s been modified for drivers with all types of disabilities is a fairly expensive item (about $130,000), and driver assessment and training aren’t covered by most insurance plans. So the Disabled Drivers Program is seeking donations from a number of sources to replace its current full-size van, which is 13 years old and in poor condition.

“We’re thrilled about the award,” said Program Coordinator Frances Tromp Van Holst. She said the program is now pursuing additional funding for the project from other sources, including former patients, community organizations, and manufacturers of adaptive driving equipment.

For more information about the UWMC Disabled Drivers Program, contact Van Holst at UWMC Rehabilitation Services, 598-4830. ¶

Anna Peekstock, Rehabilitation Medicine