More disabled people getting driving licence

More disabled people getting driving licence A great number of persons with medical conditions are not letting their disability get in the way of driving a car. An indicator extension allows the driver to use his indicator levers on the opposite side of the steering wheel. The left-foot accelerator, as its name suggests, allows the driver to use his left foot to accelerate the car. The Handicaps Welfare Association has its own instructional car fitted with hand controls, a left-foot accelerator and a rotary knob. Earlier this month, Mr Afiq passed his driving test on the first attempt. 'Since it was my first time teaching a disabled student, I had to pay more time teaching Afiq. Mr Lau, who has more than 30 years of experience teaching people to drive, said that 'as with able-bodied learners, there have to be lots of patience when teaching disabled persons'. Hand controls are attached near the bottom of the steering wheel, and can be used by patients who are unable to use their feet to drive. Mr Lau Chai Cheng, 58, has been teaching people with various medical conditions how to drive since Tan Tock Seng Hospital started its Driving Assessment and Rehabilitation Programme in 2001. The rotary knob - a door knob-like device - helps amputees to drive. Another driving instructor, Mr Saleh Sawi, who has 20 years of experience, charges $48 for a 90-minute class for disabled students. DRIVING instructors rely upon a multitude of tools to help disabled people learn to drive. His first disabled student earlier this year was Mr Muhammad Afiq Abdul Manaf, 20, an ITE student who lost his left arm in a traffic accident two years ago. The Traffic Police had informed Mr Saleh that Mr Afiq required a rotary knob to drive. Started in 2001 by a group of occupational therapists at the hospital, the scheme assists those with medical conditions to learn or return to driving. His car is fitted with a left-foot accelerator and a rotary knob. Disabled people who require modifications to their cars have to seek approval from the Land Transport Authority. According to the LTA, 10 cars were modified for use by disabled people last year. These include a rotary knob, a left-foot accelerator, hand controls and indicator extensions. More disabled people getting driving licence Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 03/04/2012