In 1990, the disability unit of the British Department of Transport commissioned a review of services offering information, advice and/or assessment to disabled and elderly motorists in the United Kingdom. The findings were published in 1991 in the form of a guide, which was mainly aimed at professionals. The paper begins by summarising the background to the provision of assessment services in the UK. It then describes the number, nature and history of the services investigated in the Department of Transport's review, which range from completely independent centres, through manufacturers or fitters of adaptations, controls and accessories, to vehicle manufacturers and converters. The wide variety of types of service offered and facilities available is indicative of the haphazard way in which these centres have developed in the United Kingdom. The philosophy adopted a teach is also affected by its background and funding sources. Their irregular geographical distribution suggests that services need to be extended to give better coverage of the population; this is partly being done at present by peripatetic services.
Abstract