When you are disabled and do not have your own transport, making journeys can be hard work. So much so, that it can create a barrier to travelling all together.
In fact, disabled people make 21% fewer journeys than everyone else, and Ben can relate. He has cerebral palsy, and before learning to drive through the Motability Foundation, getting to college put him in some very difficult situations.
“Before I had my own car, I was reliant on other people, public transport or taxis, which was stressful. Taxis often came late, and they made me late for lessons. If I had my wheelchair, and the bus was full of other wheelchair users or prams, sometimes I couldn’t get on. Waiting around outside, especially in cold weather, is not good.”
Since getting a car through the Motability Scheme, Ben says, “life is just better.” His car is fitted with push-pull hand controls and a steering ball, and he says driving himself gives him more confidence.
“Now I don’t need to rely on other people, I go out every day on my own. I get myself to work, to the gym, see my friends. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I can do things I wasn’t able to do without my car. I have full independence.”
World Cerebral Palsy Day 2026
Scope explains cerebral palsy as a condition that affects muscle control and movement - which affects about one in every 400 children in the UK.
Tuesday 6 October marks World Cerebral Palsy Day and Ben's story highlights how conditions like cerebral palsy can affect everyday travel. We do not want transport acting as a barrier to anyone accessing the world, accessing life.