Driving social change

It's interesting to note how often what's provided for disabled people reflects society's attitudes towards us. No more so is this the case says Helen Dolphin, than in an exhibition of disabled people's transport through the ages

Ever since I started work for the disabled motorists' charity Mobilise I've had to walk past an Invacar Model 70 and a 1947 Argson 198cc Tricycle to get to my desk. The Argson tricycle has an amazing history as it was used by Mr Denny Denley MBE, President of Mobilise, to cross the Swiss Alps in 1947. Following his alpine adventure, Mr Denley went on to found the Invalid Tricycle Association, later the Disabled Drivers' Association, one of the two charities that merged to form Mobilise in 2005.

However, I no longer walk past these vehicles on the way to my desk because earlier this year they were picked up and taken across the country to the Coventry Transport Museum, which displays the world's largest collection of British road transport. These vehicles are now part of an exhibition called Transport for Disabled People: Past – Present – Future.

This exhibition consists of a range of vehicles – from early Bath chairs to models of the future. It demonstrates just how far vehicles have evolved in terms of means of propulsion, design and technology and presents a unique opportunity for visitors to see a diverse collection of specialist vehicles.

However, this exhibition is not just about the vehicles. It also attempts to question the attitudes of society to the disabled people who used them.

The exhibition was the idea of the Coventry Warwickshire Leicestershire Group of Mobilise to commemorate their 60th Anniversary.  Their President Mr Grant Cobb and their Chairman Ms Norma Lewis (pictured left with Tanni) had worked with the museum staff for 18 months, planning the exhibition. Grant Cobb said: "I have received many favourable comments from the hundreds of visitors who have visited the exhibition. Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson who came to the opening event described it as 'wonderful'."

Before motor vehicles became widely available, most disabled people who were fortunate enough to remain mobile owned a "Bath chair" or "invalid carriage" which were either propelled by hand or pushed by another person. Most of the motorised ones took the form of a three-wheeler built for a single person. This "single person" design feature was to become a requirement throughout the decades and is in fact still a requirement of the modern day "invalid carriage". It seems to reflect the view either that disabled people would not have anyone to share a vehicle with, or shouldn't be trusted to drive others on grounds of capability.

However, one of the biggest changes to happen to transport for disabled people was the end of the Invalid Vehicle Scheme and the introduction of the Mobility Allowance in 1976. This allowance broke the mould in giving help to disabled people regardless of their ability to drive. It also enabled disabled people to have choice in the form of a cash allowance, rather than imposing a specific type of vehicle on them.

Thus the Motability Scheme was born in 1977 and for the first time disabled people could afford a standard car. So now vehicles for disabled people are just Fords, Vauxhalls, BMWs or anything else a disabled person wants to drive. It's good to look back at just how far we have come and be thankful for past campaigners like Denny Denley MBE who have helped improve the mobility of so many disabled people today.