Paralysis Support Group
Paralysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. Major causes are stroke, trauma, poliomyelitis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), botulism, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, and Guillain-Barr syndrome. Paralysis may be localized, or generalized, or it may follow a certain pattern. For example, localized paralysis occurs in Bell's palsy...
Hello everyone,
I am dating a 26 year old paraplegic. I live 1 hour and 30 minutes away from him. A car accident left him paralyzed from the nipple line down when he was 16 years old. He recently got his permit, but he has been unable to practice driving because everyone who has offered to let him practice driving with them has a car with a manual transmission. Because he cannot control his legs and feet, he needs to drive an automatic car and use his hand controls. We were able to find a car for him yesterday, so we thought he would no longer have a problem getting some practice. But today he went to the DMV (located in Manteca, CA), and they gave him some bad news. He was able to put his car in his name and turn in a form that his doctor signed to show he is capable of driving. But they said they were putting a hold on his permit, that he wouldn't be able to drive until he talked to the Driver Safety Branch. He called the number he was given, but after being on hold for over an hour, he got frustrated and hung up. He called back a few minutes later, and they told him they were closing. It has been hard getting clear answers about how this process is going to work from anyone. I don't even know if I'm legally allowed to let him practice driving with me because I'm 21 and I remember not being allowed to practice driving with someone under 25 when I had my permit. It seems like it would be different because he is well over 18, but I don't know. I am worried about whether he will be required to go through expensive training. Has anyone here pursued a driver's license after becoming paralyzed and while over 18? Or does anyone here know someone who has? It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could tell me about their experience.
Thank you,
Katie
I am dating a 26 year old paraplegic. I live 1 hour and 30 minutes away from him. A car accident left him paralyzed from the nipple line down when he was 16 years old. He recently got his permit, but he has been unable to practice driving because everyone who has offered to let him practice driving with them has a car with a manual transmission. Because he cannot control his legs and feet, he needs to drive an automatic car and use his hand controls. We were able to find a car for him yesterday, so we thought he would no longer have a problem getting some practice. But today he went to the DMV (located in Manteca, CA), and they gave him some bad news. He was able to put his car in his name and turn in a form that his doctor signed to show he is capable of driving. But they said they were putting a hold on his permit, that he wouldn't be able to drive until he talked to the Driver Safety Branch. He called the number he was given, but after being on hold for over an hour, he got frustrated and hung up. He called back a few minutes later, and they told him they were closing. It has been hard getting clear answers about how this process is going to work from anyone. I don't even know if I'm legally allowed to let him practice driving with me because I'm 21 and I remember not being allowed to practice driving with someone under 25 when I had my permit. It seems like it would be different because he is well over 18, but I don't know. I am worried about whether he will be required to go through expensive training. Has anyone here pursued a driver's license after becoming paralyzed and while over 18? Or does anyone here know someone who has? It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could tell me about their experience.
Thank you,
Katie
Don't know if this helps any.
The driving practice was pretty elementary, but still, like the motorcycle class I took many years ago, before my injury, I feel I learned enough to make it worth it. My total cost was about $350. Not cheap, but not terrible either.
At the DMV when I was 16, we had to drive all over town. Retaking the test as a para took about five minutes, part of which was waiting for a traffic light. It was super easy!
There's a lot of red tape in this world, but I hope things have worked out, or will work out soon. I couldn't imagine not driving - at least in my area of the country. It's a great equalizer and gives a feeling of total independence.