I mentioned Community Link in a previous post and now that I've used them several times I thought I should write a post singing their praises and urge any wheelchair user in the Stafford area to use them.
Community Link has been a real game changer for me.
In my previous post I mentioned a few services that are available to us wheelchair folk. As I was writing it I was racking my brains as to how I go about using these services rather than just writing about them. It's been painfully obvious that I need to upgrade from my manual wheelchair to a motorised wheelchair for a while now, but to transport a motorised wheelchair, I'd need to use a wheelchair taxi. I can't self propel very well, in fact just getting to the end of my uneven drive is a chore. It has an ever so slight camber that causes the wheelchair to roll backwards, so the moment I release the wheel it starts to move backwards.
Being in a wheelchair means it's costly for organisations to provide for our needs. Understandably some just avoid it all together, some make a limited service but for a premium cost. Community Link is a fabulous charity and one that does actually earn money per fare. Granted, it needs funding to get off the ground, but it's a charity that is almost guaranteed to be profitable, as there are no shortage of wheelchair users all over the UK. Community Link do rely on the kindness of volunteers like Les. He is retired, but enjoys driving and likes to meet different people and help them. He is a great help to me. For example, now I can get a taxi to Specsavers to get my frames tightened...erm...I could get a lift into town...Er, sit in the middle of market square and feed the pigeons... I could even go to Stone, and, feed some more pigeons.
The possibilities are endless.
Since 2002 we have been a registered charity, with a mission to help anyone who has difficulty using public transport get out and about. Our 5 wheelchair accessible vehicles provide community transport services in the Stafford area and beyond.
So, it's a service that has been around for a long time, but isn't something I was aware of. Granted I didn't look very hard - a simple Google search "wheelchair taxi service in stafford" - yields a search result which tells you about Community Link. But if you're lazy like me, let me save you that effort.
They assume the role of carer from the moment they pick you up and do whatever you're incapable of doing yourself. As you're probably aware I am just one person, so I only need a smaller taxi, but there are other vehicles available as well.
A winch is attached to the front of the chair which gently pulls me on board. It then locks, holding me in position. Anchors are attached to the back wheels which are bolted in place. A seatbelt is then put around me which is also secured in place. Just for added peace of mind, I put my brakes on.
I'm secured in position, which is a good thing as Les is a nutter! I didn't realise you could pull wheelies in a car. I'm joking of course...you can't.
You need to be a member to use the service, but it's a simple form that takes three minutes to complete and asks un-complicated question like "Are you registered disabled?" "Do you have difficulty getting on an ordinary bus?" And "Do you require us to transport any additional medical equipment?"
Seriously any dummy could do it. And I did!
Now that I've got a taxi service I can use, I immediately booked a taxi to visit my local mobility store - Easy Living Mobility - a store I didn't even know was there. Check out their website. They seem to have as many stores as Tesco (this may be a slight exaggeration), so have a look and see which is closest to you.
I am now in possession of a motorised wheelchair to test, with a view to purchasing it. I thought it would be a doddle, as you can see from the video it isn't, I haven't been in charge of anything other than a manual wheelchair for quite some time. Maybe, that's for the best.
Keep posted for an update on my motorised wheelchair worries. in the mean time you could volunteer to be a Community Link driver.
