Many of our grant recipients are parents, who need to get their kids to school, or get their kids to medical appointments, or just live life as a family. Education and healthcare: a basic human right.
When you have a child who is disabled and you do not have safe, reliable, comfortable transport, every journey feels like a small puzzle that has to be solved.
For some families, the challenges of the school run go way beyond remembering to pack reading books and PE kits before leaving the house on time. That's what Sarah told us.
Her twins Becky and Holly were both born with cerebral palsy. Like other teenagers, they enjoy watching films, playing with their pets and scrolling on their phones. Becky is a wheelchair user and Holly also has autism.
For Sarah, just moving everyone around together became increasingly tricky as the girls grew up. As Becky got bigger, lifting and transferring her in and out of their standard car started to impact Sarah’s own health.
At first, the girls went to the same junior school, but as the they progressed to different schools and colleges, it became logistically and physically impossible. When the strain on Sarah’s back was as much as she could bear, she contacted the Motability Foundation to apply for a grant for a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV).
Having a vehicle with a ramp that Becky can wheel in and out of, has made immeasurable difference to the family. They can go to the cinema, they can go to college, they can go to the park, without worrying how or if they’ll get there. Sarah joked that with all the extra space, they can even bring all the necessary mobility aids, ‘without getting a handlebar to the head’.
People need to travel to access healthcare. People need to travel to access education. For Sarah’s family, receiving a grant towards their WAV really was the difference between getting and not getting her kids to school.
Today is International Day of Education, and we are proud to support parents like Sarah, so that their children can continue gaining the valuable life and academic skills, that any teenager is entitled to.
Read more about Becky's story.