An article by Len Tasker, written in 2000
Founded by disabled people as the Invalid Tricycle Association
In 1951 the Coventry Group of the 'Disabled Drivers Association' was formed. Many of these Coventry disabled members were involved in the now historic moves to see the first invalid three wheel, open to all weathers, trikes introduced. Later these were replaced by covered in trikes.
In 1971, Coventry members were involved in the campaign of meeting the Coventry M.P. Mr Dick Crossman, to get the unreliable trikes replaced by cars.
At the end of the meeting Mr Crossman said, "You have an overwhelming case which you present intelligently, but there is no question of my extending the categories eligible for cars. There is no money and, although I would like to help you, I can't give you false hopes". However, he did agree to investigate the possibilities of providing a degree of help for those eligible for tricycles but elected to buy cars.
The campaign was eventually a great success and the Government introduced the now highly successful Motability Scheme which enables severely disabled people to surrender their Mobility allowance and hire or purchase a converted car to suit their particular disability.
This opened the door to the outside world for thousands of disabled people who had previously been housebound. Another remarkable pioneering step forward by disabled people, for disabled people, during the 20th Century and in which many Coventry disabled people had been actively involved.
Perhaps one of the most historic events in the proud history of the D.D.A. occurred in the year 1973. This was the year when, at No 10 Downing Street, London, a delegation of members of the D.D.A. held a meeting with Edward Heath, the Prime Minister at that time, from which the lives of thousands of disabled people, of all ages, all over the country, were to be transformed.
The purpose of the meeting was to press the Prime Minister and the Government to abolish the dangerous three wheel invalid tricycles that were issued to disabled people and replace these with allowances to enable those disabled people who were eligible, to have hand-controlled cars.
Included in this important delegation were Mairwyn Meyrick, secretary of the Coventry Group at that time, her husband Alf and myself. It was from historic meetings such as this that the Mobility Scheme was born to raise the standard of living for thousands of disabled people throughout Britain.
Founded by disabled people as the Invalid Tricycle Association
In 1951 the Coventry Group of the 'Disabled Drivers Association' was formed. Many of these Coventry disabled members were involved in the now historic moves to see the first invalid three wheel, open to all weathers, trikes introduced. Later these were replaced by covered in trikes.
In 1971, Coventry members were involved in the campaign of meeting the Coventry M.P. Mr Dick Crossman, to get the unreliable trikes replaced by cars.
At the end of the meeting Mr Crossman said, "You have an overwhelming case which you present intelligently, but there is no question of my extending the categories eligible for cars. There is no money and, although I would like to help you, I can't give you false hopes". However, he did agree to investigate the possibilities of providing a degree of help for those eligible for tricycles but elected to buy cars.
The campaign was eventually a great success and the Government introduced the now highly successful Motability Scheme which enables severely disabled people to surrender their Mobility allowance and hire or purchase a converted car to suit their particular disability.
This opened the door to the outside world for thousands of disabled people who had previously been housebound. Another remarkable pioneering step forward by disabled people, for disabled people, during the 20th Century and in which many Coventry disabled people had been actively involved.
Perhaps one of the most historic events in the proud history of the D.D.A. occurred in the year 1973. This was the year when, at No 10 Downing Street, London, a delegation of members of the D.D.A. held a meeting with Edward Heath, the Prime Minister at that time, from which the lives of thousands of disabled people, of all ages, all over the country, were to be transformed.
The purpose of the meeting was to press the Prime Minister and the Government to abolish the dangerous three wheel invalid tricycles that were issued to disabled people and replace these with allowances to enable those disabled people who were eligible, to have hand-controlled cars.
Included in this important delegation were Mairwyn Meyrick, secretary of the Coventry Group at that time, her husband Alf and myself. It was from historic meetings such as this that the Mobility Scheme was born to raise the standard of living for thousands of disabled people throughout Britain.
No comments:
Post a Comment