explORA episode 1: Accessible adventure with Lauren

 Although this was a gifted experience, all opinions are Lauren’s and she receives no payment for the content provided.

‘Recently I had the pleasure of partnering with Open Road Access (ORA).

The team were kind enough to reach out and offer a day out with one of their lovely vehicles. My PA’s and I had the WAV for a couple of days and got to enjoy its full potential taking it into Central London to enjoy a show as well as out into the countryside where I went on a beautiful Wheelchair Accessible Walk.

ORA specialise in a WAV rental service with disabled people in mind – designed with the help of wheelchair users for wheelchair users, accessibility and comfort are clear priorities of ORA.

Overall thoughts:
Receiving the WAV was super simple! Disabled people spend a lot of time doing paperwork and admin, so I was prepared to have to provide lots of details but the whole process was hassle-free.

I simply provided a delivery address and some details to complete driving license checks for insurance purposes, signed on the dotted line and we were good to go.

Price:
Pricing depends on the length of rental, the size of the car, and the distance from their branches. Average rates are £150 for 1 day rental, £545 for 1 week rental, with significant discounts available for longer rentals. They also provide a personalised service, working with customers to provide the most cost-efficient bundle for their needs.

This was a gifted experience as part of the ExplORA series.

What vehicle we got: Citroen Space Tourer Cosmo 2023 with automatic transmission.

Why I’m using it:

We received the WAV from ORA for a trip to London, followed by a day out exploring the South Downs. It was great to experience a different experience of a WAV. Before purchasing my own WAV with a PIP back- payment, I did not have access to wheelchair-accessible transport and had to rely on members of the public to lift m

wheelchair in several parts into my car for me

What I like and even better if:

My favourite aspect of the WAV was just how comfortable it was. In my current WAV I have dislocated joints going over bumps in the road. In this vehicle, I was able to recline my seat, meaning my joints and back injury felt noticeably less painful after a long drive. I also noticed I didn’t get travel sick as I was moving around a lot less than I do on my bench seat in my WAV.

ORA asked for wheelchair measurements to ensure I was getting the right WAV to fit my needs. We LOVED the video guides on how to measure your chair and secure the wheelchair restraints available on their website particularly helpful and we wondered whether a QR code link to these or similar instructions may be useful for setting up Bluetooth for phone connection for Google Maps as this took us a little while and it tends to be slightly different for every vehicle.

There were a few things I felt might be tricky for some disabled people if they were to be driving the WAV independently- this had nothing to do with the service and more so the adaptations of the vehicle. Perhaps this could be something to note if you were to be hiring the vehicle alone as a disabled person. For example- the clasp between the ramp extension and the ramp could be quite fiddly, I’m sure a different style vehicle would be recommended for different needs.

Comfort: 

Going from my current vehicle which feels very much feels like a workman’s van to this WAV there was a noticeable difference in the way it drove.
This WAV felt like a spacious car. The drive felt smooth and steady and my wheelchair stayed secure with no rattling the whole way.

The WAV was extremely comfortable, with plenty of room for myself and my two PAs. I was able to recline my seat, meaning I could stretch out and rest during the journey. There was also plenty of room for all our bags and extra passengers too meaning we could take everything we needed for the trip!

Appearance: Smooth and Sleek!
Considering how much room there was, the van felt fairly compact and drove much more like a car. The inside was clean, modern, and spacious.

Delivery:
The delivery process was faultless. The ORA team was extremely helpful and having the WAV delivered to my door with a full fuel tank meant it was good to go. They showed us how to secure the wheelchair and answered any questions we had.

The delivery drivers Steve and Paul were really lovely and very knowledgeable. We were able to track their arrival using a tracking map, so we knew exactly what time they would arrive and we also received a call so we knew they were on the way.

They couldn’t have been more helpful or proud to work for ORA, and no question was too small. They showed us demonstrations of how to put the wheelchair in and out of the van and went into detail about the exciting features.

My PA felt very well prepared to drive the van after our demonstrations, and that wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Steve and Paul.

Use:
The van was such a lovely drive and felt extremely smooth. Being a newer car, the brakes were very touch sensitive, and this meant it didn’t strain your legs too much when driving! You are also able to insure multiple drivers which was great for myself having multiple PA’s and also meant we could split long journeys between PA’s.

Overall:
There is plenty of space for bags, and wheelchair equipment, meaning you can take everything you need away with you. For long drives, there is space to stretch out and you are able to travel safely in your wheelchair.

The very fact I can insure my younger PAs means if I were to find myself stuck for care support, I could insure younger team members quickly and easily to get me to places I need to be.

If I were to find myself needing to hire a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle at any point, I would definitely not hesitate in booking through ORA.’