On Saturday the 21st of September we popped along to the One Big Day event which is put on by the Motability Scheme. It was held at the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh. The free event also takes place around the UK at various locations including Harrogate, Birmingham, Exeter and Peterborough.
One Big Day is an event to showcase the UK’s largest display of cars, scooters and powered wheelchairs for disabled people. It was great to be there and see what the Motability Scheme and its partners had to offer in 2019.
The range of vehicles on display was great, giving people the opportunity to go inside the cars and to even test drive if they were interested to find out if it would be suitable for them.
As a full-time wheelchair user I was interested in the range of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV) on offer. It was good to be able to go inside the vehicles in my powerchair and get a proper feel for them. I even tried a couple of wheelchair upfront passenger vehicles, which would enable me to sit up front and remain in my wheelchair. This has been something we have been thinking about for a few years and has become our preference especially as our five-year lease is coming to an end next year.
At the event, we got to try a Ford Tourneo Connect adapted with the ride upfront layout which was brilliant. It really does make such a difference to be able to chat with your partner, family member or friend who is driving. Personally, this will be amazing for me especially when I need help with something as they will be able to reach across so much easier compared to when I'm sat way in the back.
The One Big Day is a good day for all the family to learn and find out about worry-free motoring - its free to attend with free parking, a welcome bag and free drink tokens. It also had a kids play zone and eating area. It also has a wide range of non-adapted cars for members of the Motability scheme that do not require a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV).
Our current WAV is the stunning Ford Tourneo Connect, which we have had for four years now. It has been a very reliable and comfortable car to ride in as a power wheelchair user. My partner who drives the car says it is a nice car to drive.
The car is also packed with cool features such as Bluetooth connectivity allowing me to make hands-free calls and text message reading as well as AC for those hot summer months when we are on a road trip. There is also plenty of space to store our bags and mobility equipment as well as my wheelchair at the rear.
Overall we are really pleased we managed to get along to the Motability Schemes One Big Day event in Edinburgh this year. It opened our eyes to what is out there and I really enjoyed trying the various vehicles and meeting all the friendly people from the different companies and organisations too.
I thoroughly recommend checking out your local One Big Day event when it next comes to a city near you.
You can view all of our motability offers by clicking here. Don't forget, we understand the best way to become familiar with a vehicle and discover if it is suitable for your needs is to test drive. That being said, finding the time to take a test drive can be difficult. With Peoples Ford Test Drive to You we can bring the test drive experience to you at home or work.