Supporting someone with a disability as they learn to drive can be a hugely rewarding experience, offering them increased independence and confidence.
If you’d like to assist a disabled learner with their driving, take a look at our tips below.
Understand the legal and practical requirements
Begin by familiarising yourself with the legal obligations and practical considerations for disabled learners.
This includes notifying the DVLA of any medical conditions that may affect driving, understanding eligibility for a provisional licence and recognising any need for vehicle adaptations.
The government website offers useful information on medical conditions, disabilities, and driving.
This includes how to tell the DVLA and what happens afterwards.
Find the right instructor
We recommend selecting a driving instructor who has experience teaching individuals with disabilities.
Specialist instructors can provide tailored lessons in adapted vehicles that are equipped with necessary modifications, such as hand controls or steering aids.
You can take a look at the Disability Driving Instructors website, which offers useful advice for first-time drivers on adapting to their new car, special educational needs and more.
They have a useful directory of qualified instructors across the UK, which you can filter by their experience and the type of car adaptation required.
Help them practice
When learning any new skill, practice is essential. Support them in gaining practice outside their professional lessons, where possible.
Take a look at the guidance on supervising a learner driver, which explains the eligibility criteria.
This includes being at least 21 years old, being qualified to drive the type of vehicle the learner is driving, and having a full driving license for at least three years.
The car needs to be fitted with L plates, taxed, and have a valid MOT.
You should also make sure that the learner is insured on the vehicle. This could be as a named driver on your policy, or their own policy if they have their own car.
If you have more than one car in the same household, multi-car insurance policies can be beneficial as they may cut costs and make it easier to manage the policy. Check if this is available for learner drivers.
Explore financial support options
Learning to drive can be expensive, so it’s worth checking if there are any financial support schemes available for the person you’re helping.
For instance, the Motability Foundation may be able to help with the cost of lessons if the learner meets certain criteria.
This includes having a provisional license and a theory test pass certificate, receiving a government means-tested benefit or a grant from them to adapt the driving controls on their car.
There are many ways you can help someone with a disability learn to drive, from understanding the legal and practical requirements to finding a qualified, specialist instructor. We hope these tips will help you support your loved one as they navigate the new and exciting challenge ahead.
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I'm Alice and I live with a dizzying assortment of invisible disabilities, including ADHD and fibromyalgia. I write to raise awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental and chronic illnesses of all kinds.
