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    Your central hub for information, support tools, and practical advice.

    We have a wealth of knowledge to share with you about living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), and have pulled this together in this section to help you access the information you need, when you need it.

    Discover our resources

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    Does regular standing improve bowel function in people with spinal cord injury?

    Twenty community-dwelling people with motor complete spinal cord injury above T8 participated in a 16-week trial.
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    Chronic Complications of Spinal Cord Injury

    Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious medical condition that causes functional, psychological and socioeconomic disorder.
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    Peer Support Education Series: Pressure Injury Protection and Prevention

    This presentation will cover pressure injuries and pressure care, as well as, causes, preventative measures, appropriate assistive technology and more.
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    Peer Support Education Series: Bladder and Bowel Care with Coloplast

    This online education session is in collaboration with Coloplast to give you the skills and confidence to manage common continence...
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    Employment, Disability and Changing a Culture of Discrimination

    Susan talks to Phat Ngo and Dominika Jachym about disability and employment.
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    Peer Support Education Series: Sexuality, Intimacy and SCI

    Our ACT Community Peer Support team will be running the next education session on sexuality and intimacy post-SCI.
    Read More

    Nothing can stop us from enjoying the freedom of driving, even after a spinal cord injury or other disabilities. But before you get behind the wheel, accessible vehicle modifications are necessary to keep you safe. Here are some valuable tips that will help you get through the whole process of car modifications.

    Tips for Accessible Vehicle Modifications

    Safety First

    The top priority we need to consider is safety when we decide which modifications are suitable for our vehicle. There are many car adaptations for people with spinal cord injuries, such as hand controls, seat adjusters, automatic doors, wheelchair ramps and lifts, and more.

    However, every spinal cord injury is unique. We need to implement personalised car modifications based on our different impairments.

    Getting the right advice

    Have you been ready to take the first step toward driving? To get, keep or retain your driver license, we can book an appointment with our health professional for a Medical assessment for Fitness to Drive. Our doctor may recommend we have an Occupational Therapist driver assessment and Disability driving test. We will learn lots of knowledge and tips about car modifications during the process.

    Furthermore, keeping an open mind will help you obtain and comprehend the latest information. You can ask the professionals in the disability vehicle modification field. They will always help you with up-to-date technology for modifying your car. Moreover, our Peer support team is always here to support you through your car modification.

    Tips for Accessible Vehicle Modifications

    Selecting a suitable vehicle

    Our specialist will collaborate with us to select a suitable vehicle. Before that, we can consider the following questions:

    • Is the previous car right to undergo the car modifications?
    • Will I drive from the wheelchair or transfer to a seat?
    • Will there be enough room for other passengers after the changes?
    • And more related to different impairment levels.

    NDIS & Accessible Vehicle Modifications

    The NDIS would not fund a motor vehicle but can fund the modifications and driving support related to your disability to help you regularly use a car.

    They may fund a qualified assessor to discuss your transport needs, or you may talk to your occupational therapist about these. If the car modifications may benefit you, they will complete a vehicle modification assessment, which explains what changes you need. Then the NDIS will fund the cost of the assessment in your capacity-building support budget.

    Additionally, we have created a factsheet containing more car modification resources. Please access the page if interested, or you can contact our NDIS Support Coordination team for more assistance.

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