Thanks for the replies everyone, appreciated.
Does that mean you have to consider / accept any car they suggest that’s not suitable or practical for your needs then
I was told “if I was paying the AP I could pick and choose what ever I wanted, but since I am applying for a grant I will have to choose from the compiled list if a test drive is satisfactory”, I told the lady I will not accept a car that I think is unsuitable, after all we lease the cars they are not free and since we pay for them the vehicle should be fit for purpose and meet our needs no matter who pays the AP. I can only get into SUV’s and only the tallest of SUV’s, I have three spinal conditions plus arthritis is most joints, as you know yourself seats, suspension and wheels are very important, and I won’t know if a car is suitable until I test drive it, there lies another problem I have chronic health problems and have been unable to leave the house for nearly 6 months. After compiling a list, there are maybe 5 cars that are tall enough with a big enough boot for my scooter, so not a great choice.
I fully endorse the grants programme but the charity that runs it needs to review the way they operate. despite being offered a grant before – they gave me the choice of 3 cars they thought best for me – they did not take into consideration the shortlist of cars (I’d researched, refined, visited showrooms and had at least two test drives – resulting in my top 3 short list – based on my needs for access, my disability and other conditions. thet weren’t open to my views – very wrong practice and against the social model of disability, and with no respect of my ‘expert by experience’ / lived experience of my disability and health conditions, and those in context of a very experienced disabled driver.
I felt that way when I applied for a grant at the end of the three-year lease and four-year lease “turned down for both”and on both occasion I felt the person dealing with the application really didn’t understand my needs or disabilities. Some vehicles that were suggested while discussing the application at the end of the third lease really highlighted their lack of vehicle knowledge and my needs.