Starting university is an incredibly exciting experience. Becoming a student requires a lot of preparation and admin for anyone, but as any disabled student will know all too well, this process is often even more intricate when you’re preparing to study while managing a health condition.
Student life looks different for everybody, depending on so many factors – the course you choose to study, whether you’re commuting from home or moving to a new location, the accommodation you’re living in, whether your course is full-time or part-time, your specific disability and access needs, and many other elements too.
However, today we want to share how renting a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) could help you to make the beginning of your university experience as seamless and accessible as possible, so that you can focus your time and energy on having the most amazing time instead.
Can I Hire A WAV As A Disabled Student?
As long as you are over the age of 18 and have a valid driver’s license, you can rent a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle from Open Road Access. If you have a PA or Support Worker who typically drives you around, the same rules apply to them – or you can even split the driving between you (or multiple support workers) by naming additional drivers on your booking.
Driving and parking options vary by university, but if hiring a WAV will help you to manage your access needs as a disabled student, it’s well worth talking to your Learning Advisor or Disability Support Services about it. You should already have a named contact who has helped you to set up a learning plan for your time at university, and they will be the best person to answer any questions you have about hiring a WAV during the academic year.
Even if you’re only renting for a short period, they may be able to reserve dedicated accessible parking spaces for you, organise a student permit, or recommend the most suitable places for drop-off and pick-up close to your contact hours or study locations. If you’re struggling to secure appropriate adjustments, Disability Rights UK runs a Disabled Students Helpline staffed by experienced advisors who may be able to help.
Why Hire A WAV While Studying At University?
There are many benefits to renting a WAV as a disabled student, especially throughout the academic year.
- Driving to your new accommodation as you move in is much easier than using public transport – especially when you’ve packed what feels like your entire life’s belongings (plus all your favourite emotional support mugs) into your luggage.
- If there’s a practical or work experience element of the course you’re studying, you may have to regularly commute to a location away from your university or where you’re typically based, for example, gaining teaching experience in a local school or doing hands-on fieldwork as part of a Geography degree. Short-term WAV hire can make less-familiar commutes much easier and give you one less thing to worry about, especially during busy study periods.
- Studying in a smaller town or more rural location may mean that public transport is not as regular or reliable as what you’re used to. Hiring a WAV is a great way to explore your new area, discover your new favourite coffee shops and fun things to do, and find hidden gems to enjoy with friends and flatmates. University is about so much more than your studies alone – it’s an amazing opportunity to build a whole new home and lifestyle in a brand new location, and create memories you’ll truly treasure forever.
- If you have to attend regular medical appointments to manage your condition, WAV hire can be a much safer bet than relying on lifts or public transport – and it gives you more autonomy to carefully time your journeys around your contact hours or studies. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to catch a bus two hours before your appointment and then trying to kill time meandering around clinical hallways when you know that time could have been better spent elsewhere.
- Having access to any kind of car, including a rental WAV, during your first weeks of university is going to make you incredibly popular among your new flatmates and peers. If you’re the person who offers to take them on a supermarket run so they can grab their favourite late-night snacks and all the essentials they’ve inevitably forgotten to pack, trust us, you’re immediately going to become their absolute hero.
How Does Renting A WAV Work?
If you’re new to WAV rental, here at Open Road Access, we have plenty of information and resources on our website to help you get started. In a nutshell, you can rent a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle for any amount of time – from short-term hire for a single day to long-term hire up to a whole year – and the experienced team will be able to walk you through the process and match you with the best vehicle for your access needs.
Also Read: Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle What It Is And How To Hire
At the beginning of your hire period, the WAV will be dropped off at a location of your choice – whether that’s at your home address before your university term begins, or at your new student accommodation ready for the first day of your induction. Insurance and breakdown cover is already sorted for the duration of your hire period, and once it’s over, er the vehicle will be collected from a location of your choice too.
You may never have considered hiring a WAV before, especially during your years as a disabled student, but having an accessible vehicle at your disposal can be a wonderful way of making your university experience more seamless and even more enjoyable. Most of us only experience student life once, so make the most of this exciting new chapter and live your student life to the fullest – and if WAV hire can help you to do that, get in touch with the team today to make your first booking. Find out more about WAV hire through Open Road Access here!
