Becky’s brother, James, met with a car accident that left him a tetraplegic when he was 39 years old. Since his accident, James has found ways to successfully readjust to his life.
“One year on from his accident, he’s finally really starting to enjoy his life again.”
Driving
Driving is important to James because it has made it easier for him to visit his family and to get to work. “It had liberated him,” shares Becky.
“So, not one to let a little thing like a devastating car accident get him down, he was eager to get back on the horse.”
On the day James was discharged, he and his family started looking into adapted cars. They found an adapted Ford Mondeo that was perfect for James. The car is equipped with hand controls for steering the wheel and braking, and buttons for indicating signals and wipers.
Employment
Before his accident, James was doing kitchen work at the Bedford Lodge hotel. Throughout his 18-month hospital stay, his colleagues continued reaching out and supporting him. They also agreed on having James take on a position in reception after his discharge. Being a people person, it was a role that suited him perfectly.
His colleagues also made note of James’s needs and selected the right equipment for him to work with. “He’s able to use a touch screen to answer the phone and take calls, and he uses voice recognition if he needs to do any typing,” says Becky. James even enjoys his current line of work more than his old position!
“It just shows that it’s worth asking about adjustments to suit your needs – you might get a better response than you expected.”
Festivals
Going to The Womad Festival was an annual family tradition. Although James had to miss it the first year after his accident, Becky took the opportunity to ensure that this tradition remains unbroken in the future.
Becky recalled seeing wheelchair users at the festival before. So she contacted the festival organisers, who “could not have been more helpful,” and gathered information about accessibility at the festival.
“Turns out, they offer a Disabled Ticket, which includes a free ticket for you to bring a carer, disabled parking close to the site, the opportunity to camp in the disabled camping area (with two guests) or access to the facilities if you don’t want to camp there,” shares Becky.
Wheelchair batteries can also be charged at the disabled camping area. Equipment from Event Mobility is available for hire as well. Besides that, there is an elevated platform for disabled ticket holders to watch the gigs at every stage. “So he’s even going to get a better view! James is really looking forward to this year,” says Becky.
Dating
Another way James is readjusting to his life is by returning to the dating scene. Two months into signing up with Disability Match, James has already been on two dates.
“He’s not met the love of his life yet, but he’s having fun and it’s made him believe that he will find love again.”
And to top it all off, James has maintained a positive mental attitude as he gets back on track.
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