Mobilise - Promoting mobility for disabled people

Jackie Weeden tells us about the scooter formation team that is putting the fun into fundraising!

The Red Wheelies Mobility Formation Team like many things came about by accident.   All the team members have  multiple sclerosis and ride mobility scooters and  wanted to race their scooters, after all even lawn-mowers are raced so why not scooters? After some initial trials and tribulations to be allowed to race they found a suitable venue.  It was while waiting to race that a couple of the girls started weaving in-and-out of each other and eureka the Red Wheelies were born.  A dressage choreographer designed the original  routine, a uniform was agreed on and as the scooters being used were all red the name Red Wheelies seemed just right. The Red Wheelies were born and took part in fun days raising money for local MS charities. Continue reading »

Eva McCracken tells Mobilise the inspiration behind her book, Walking on Wheels, a guide for wheelchair and electric scooter users who wish to access and enjoy the Scottish countryside.

When people ask me why did I write Walking on Wheels, I have a stock answer.  “Because it was needed”, I say.  There was a complete dearth of information on barrier free countryside paths accessible to those of us requiring wheels for our mobility. That, of course, is only part of the story but the more I think about “why” the more confused I get.

Was it in my nature?  Was it my upbringing?  Would it have happened had I lived a century ago? Perhaps I was just part of our early 21st century, “go-for-it” attitude and saw an opportunity?

What I know for sure was that Walking on Wheels was part of my journey through life living with MS. It would never have happened had I not become an ‘MSer’, dependent on an assortment of wheelchairs and scooters for the past 10 years.  I feel very fortunate in my nature and my nurture.  I’m an optimist by nature and a problem solver by education. Continue reading »

From bears in furs to metal ostriches. Helen Smith discovers that there’s much more to see at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show than just flowers and plants.

Being a keen gardener I like to go to at least one flower show a year. I enjoy seeing how the experts lay out their show gardens and there’s always an opportunity to buy some plants at a good price. As I was staying nearby with my parents in Herefordshire we decided that this year we would go to the Malvern Spring Gardening Show. This was my first visit to this show and I have to say I was really impressed – not just with what there was to see but also with the way in which the needs of disabled people had been met. Continue reading »

During 2009, Motability reviewed the provision of powered wheelchairs and scooters on the Motability Scheme.  Following that review, Motability concluded that a single Scheme, offering a full range of mobility solutions, from scooters through to powered wheelchairs, cars, adaptations and wheelchair accessible vehicles, is the best option forward to provide more value and excellent service to its customers.  This will enable the Scheme to have a more co-ordinated approach to the full range of mobility solutions, so that a customer could, for example, move easily from having a car to having a powered wheelchair or scooter if their needs or circumstances changed.  In the longer-term, the Scheme will also look at ways to provide customers with a combined solution e.g. a car and scooter to fully meet the customer’s mobility needs. Continue reading »

The countryside around Oban includes a stunning vista of sea, shore and mountains. There is a diverse range of wildlife and habitat, landscape dotted with archeological finds dating back to prehistoric times, and remote areas that have retained their tranquillity since the last ice age. Now this wonderful landscape is opening up and becoming more accessible to those with limited mobility. Mobilise member Mark Carter takes on a tour of Scotland’s West Coast and shares some of his stunning photographs of the area.

Oban makes a great base for touring this beautiful part of Scotland and has accessible accommodation to suit all budgets, from bed and breakfasts to country house hotel. At Oban Shopmobility, situated between the Train Station and the Ferry Pier, you’ll find a large range of electric scooters and wheelchairs for use.  For a small fee they will even drop off an electric scooter or wheelchair at your hotel, ready for your arrival. Continue reading »

Mobilise member John Jewitt tests out the new Jenny-Wiz powerchair from Fieldmaster

I had been aware for a while that my faithful Euroflex electric wheelchair was coming to the end of its life. It needed several expensive repairs and given the age of the chair itself I began to draw up a shortlist of suitable replacements.

I wanted a chair primarily for indoor use, but one that could cope with some limited outdoor duty. I needed an electrically elevating seat and I wanted this to be mounted on a proper frame as in the past I have found single-post models prone to developing squeaks and groans (which engender equally noisy complaints from my better half!) Very importantly, it had to be compact; unfortunately these last two requirements ruled out most of the chairs currently on the market.

Continue reading »