How I Learned to Drive from My Wheelchair and Why It Changed Everything.

Emer drives her wheelchair-adapted car independently — from the button on her keys that automatically opens the back door and deploys the ramp, to the hand controls and dial system that put everything within reach. Getting there took a driving assessment with the Irish Wheelchair Association, a GP sign-off, lessons, and a visit to Multibility Island in Ashbourne to get her car adapted to her exact needs. It's a process but the freedom at the end of it is real.

Have you or someone you know made the journey to driving with adaptations? We'd love to hear your story.

"My name is Emer, and I'm going to speak today about learning to drive from my wheelchair with hand controls. Firstly, in order to get into my car, I have a button on my keys that allows me to automatically open the back door and apply the ramp. This is fantastic as I can enter and exit my car completely independently. On the bottom of my glitter [steering wheel], I have a dial docking system attached. This controls my indicators and also my wipers. And then, in addition, I have a panel on my left that controls my secondary functions. So, it allows me to open the windows, turn on the radio. I also have my hazard lights on this. I have a button that will allow me to deploy the ramp at the back, and I also have another button that will unlock my dial system so I can get out of the car. When I became interested in learning to drive, I went to the Irish Wheelchair Association and I completed a driving assessment. I then went to my GP and got a medical clearance that I was fit to drive. I then completed my lessons also with the Irish Wheelchair Association, and they were able to recommend some hand controls that, they told, would best suit my needs. I then went to Multibility Island in Ashburn, where I was able to get my car that has the hand control setup in it, and it was modified to suit me and positioned so that everything is comfortable while driving."