Cars With Modified Controls
When you have a temporary or permanent disability, or are the caregiver of someone with a disability, your modified car or van can be your lifeline to the outside world. Freedom Mobility has a large range of Hand Controlled vehicles that are designed to get you back on the road again.
The Solution To Your Modified Vehicle Need
Our cars have a range of modifications including radial, push pull, push rock, fadiel and menox hand controls, roof hoists and abiloaders, left foot accelerators, indicator extensions, steering wheel spinners, transfer benches and ramps. Many of our cars have the ability to store wheelchairs on the roof or boot from the drivers seat. This large variety of accessible vehicles means we can cater for any need including
• Foot/Leg Injuries
• Hand/Arm Injuries
• Wheelchair users who can self transfer into a car
• People whose own modified vehicle is getting repaired or modified
• Learner Drivers
Sometimes the need to find a temporary accessible vehicle comes out of the blue! The team at Freedom Mobility specialise in finding vehicle solutions for clients who find themselves in tricky situations. Click here to read about one persons experience after breaking a leg. We also have some handy tips on how to make life a little easier with an injury.
If you have had an accident in your disability modified car or if you are waiting on ACC to modify a vehicle for your use, perhaps following an accident or surgery, we can provide a courtesy car and get you out on the road again. We will set the car up to your specifications and deliver it to where you need it.
Our vehicles will give you freedom and independence to get back on the road and have a range of benefits including:
- Convenience, just grab the keys and drive.
- Allows the driver to be totally independent and take control of their life and appointments.
- Often cheaper than using taxis to travel.
- Drivers only use the vehicle while they need it.
- We deliver nationwide, wherever you are is where we will be.
- Fully trained driving instructors ready to get you safe and comfortable on the road.
And remember, the cost of a courtesy car from Freedom Mobility will often be covered by ACC or your insurance provider. So, give us a call; we are an Approved ACC Service Supplier and we love finding transport solutions for people just like you.
People We Have Helped
When Moana injured her right ankle, she knew she was in trouble. Moana had 2 school aged children who each had a slew of extra curriculars including sailing and horse riding. Without the ability to drive Moana had no idea how she would get her children to their various commitments. Luckily, Freedom Mobility was there to help. The Freedom team quickly organised a hand-controlled car which had a towbar for her sons sailing boat for Moana and sent one of our knowledgeable driving instructors to show Moana how to use the hand controls. She quickly learnt the new driving style and was able to use the vehicle to get her kids to where they needed to go and make all her appointments. With Freedom, Moana was able to support her family and reclaim some of her independence.
Terry and Janet were 5 weeks out from their holiday to New Zealand when Terry injured his right ankle making him unable to drive a standard rental car. They thought they would have to postpone their trip due to this set back. Luckily Janet found Freedom Mobility. They asked what options were available to them and were surprised by the range of solutions Freedom Mobility could offer. Though they were slightly concerned about the hand controls, having never used them before, they booked the car and their trip was back on. They arrived in New Zealand and met one of Freedom’s driving instructors at their motel who gave them a lesson with the Hand Controls and made sure Terry and Janet were comfortable using them. Terry was thrilled, the hand controls were very easy to use and he now felt confident driving on Kiwi roads where you drove on the left instead of the right as he was used to. After exploring New Zealand with Janet, Terry had this to say,
“We dealt with several people during the booking, payment, delivery, and drop-off. Everyone was very responsive, cheerful and helpful. Even more important, Freedom Mobility saved our vacation! We still got to do most of the stuff we had intended. It was an excellent experience for us, and we have recommended you to the various people whom we met and noticed my “moon boot”.”
Waiting for your own modified vehicle can take a while as Mekhaela knows. Meanwhile the rest of the world doesn’t stop, you still have to go to work, make hospital appointments and run to the grocery store. Mekhaela wasn’t going to get her new car for a few months so when her case coordinator offered her a rental vehicle from Freedom Mobility, Mekhaela eagerly accepted. The car she was given by Freedom was fuel efficient and spacious making it really easy for Mekaela to fold her wheelchair and stow it in the car.
When Kate got into a little fender bender and had to send in her specially modified car in for repairs she knew she needn’t worry. She called Freedom Mobility and informed us of all the modifications she required. Freedom found a car for her and delivered it soon after. Freedom liased with Kate’s insurance provider and the hire was covered. Kate had a rental vehicle with all the modifications she needed while hers got repaired meaning her life could go on as normal without any interruption.
Kassie had just passed her learners license test and was looking forward to getting behind a steering wheel and learning to drive. She was very excited to start but soon found that very few places could offer driving lessons in a hand-controlled car. Most car rental places she found either couldn’t offer her the correct type of car or wouldn’t allow learner drivers to hire their vehicles. Thankfully, a friend of hers recommended Freedom Mobility. Freedom was happy to lend her a car so long as he complied with the terms of her license. Twice a week after school one of Freedom’s friendly driving instructors would meet up with Kassie to give her a driving lesson in a hand-controlled car.
Shannon had a client with who had a ruptured right ankle who lived rurally near Paihia. As a public health nurse, her client made many house calls and her injury prevented her from being able to drive to work and do these house calls. In addition to this, her client also worked in a COVID-19 testing site which made her wary of travelling in Taxis. After a quick search, Shannon found Freedom Mobility and gave them a call. After a short conversation, the Freedom Team got to work finding the right car for Shannon’s client. After the phone call Shannon received a quote and immediately approved it. Within a few days the Freedom team had delivered an appropriate hand-controlled car to the client’s home and gave her a lesson so she felt safe and comfortable using the hand controls. From here Shannon’s client had all she needed to get to work, perform house calls and make all her various physio appointments.
Felicity was dealing with a client with a serious injury who had only just left rehab and was still adjusting to being back home. Her client had a lower limb paraplegia but could self-transfer from his chair to a low driver’s seat. The occupational therapist Felicity was working alongside recommended that the client should have a series of lessons in a push/rock controlled car so he could re-join his community. He had already completed a couple of lessons at rehab but was still unconfident in his ability to drive in real traffic. She got in touch with the team at Freedom Mobility who looked through our fleet for a suitable vehicle. They got back in touch with Felicity with a couple of options that could suit her client which she looked over along with the occupational therapist. Once Felicity let Freedom know which choice they preferred, the team at Freedom facilitated the recommended driving lessons and delivered the car to the client’s home. He used the car frequently, traveling to his medical appointments, gym and picking up his children from school. He had become far more involved with his community and Felicity was pleasantly surprised and how well her client had adjusted back into his life and how much more upbeat he was about his situation.
