Tag: Review

Lifestyle, Transport

Which Car Hire Companies Support Drivers who use Steering Aids?

Hope Amos

I asked Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Sixt, and Europcar:

1) Can I hire an automatic car with steering aids fitted?

2) Can I fit and use my own steering aids in a hire car?

Below I have outlined which companies it is possible to hire a car from if you are injured or disabled and require steering aids such as a steering spinner or indicator extension.

This information is correct for car hire in the UK as of June 2021.

What are steering aids?

Typically steering aids are removable and bolt onto the steering wheel or indicator stick. They include steering spinners which allow one-handed steering, and indicator extenders which allow control of indicators or windscreen wipers from the opposite side of the steering wheel. Read more about the steering aids I use in order to drive one handed.

Who benefits from steering aids?

Steering aids in combination with automatic transmission enable people with a hand or upper limb disability or injury to drive a car. People with disabilities like arthritis, weak grip, hemiplegia or injuries affecting the hand, wrist, or arm may require steering aids. Aids may help with gripping the steering wheel and controlling the car with one hand.

Are hand controls the same as steering aids?

No- Hand controls replace foot pedals (brake and accelerator) and are designed to help people with lower limb disability. Several car hire companies have information about hand controls on their websites and provide this service for free. Hand controls will NOT make it easier to drive a car if you have a hand or upper limb disability.

Enterprise- Full Support

With 48 hours notice, Enterprise provides Lynx steering aids including a steering ball or quad/tetra grip steering wheel attachment, indicator extension to left side, and assisted hand brake release (as well as hand controls for those with lower limb disability). This service is free.

When I spoke to them on the phone, they also agreed that I could rent an automatic car and attach my own steering aids with less than 48 hours’ notice. The Enterprise website states that they are committed to supporting disabled customers and also offer a free surrogate driver option, and hire of permanently adapted vehicles.

One thing to note is that the Enterprise website says vehicle hire is possible using a debit card. This process requires an approval step and is not possible for all customers.

Avis- Partial Support

Avis do not provide steering aids but would allow drivers to use their own. They did stipulate drivers would be responsible for fitting their own aids for liability reasons, but could ask for assistance with this at the rental office. Their online chat function was helpful and allowed me to get clarification very quickly.

Europcar- Partial Support

Europcar do not provide steering aids but do let drivers provide their own. Their website did not have this information available but it was confirmed by emailing their customer service team.

Sixt- Partial Support

Sixt also do not provide steering aids in the UK, but do allow drivers to bring and fit their own. This information isn’t available online but was confirmed by email.

Support and information for disabled drivers in the US is available at https://www.sixt.com/customers-with-disabilities and states “Sixt is committed to providing a range of Adaptive Driving Devices for our customers with disabilities. Adaptive Driving Devices include left and right hand controls, and spinner knobs”.

Hertz- No Support

Hertz do not provide steering aids, and do not let drivers provide their own. I was told this was because their insurance would not cover it.

Overview

Enterprise had the most detailed and comprehensive options for disabled drivers on their website. If you have a credit card, this is your best bet for making a spontaneous booking.

By contacting customer services, Avis, Europcar and Sixt all confirmed that providing your own steering aids was possible when renting a car. This isn’t an ideal solution for everyone, but does give some additional flexibility and choice of hire company if you already own removable steering aids.

It was very disappointing that Hertz did not provide any options for customers requiring steering aids especially as they are well-known international company.

I would recommend booking car hire over the phone or by email, as most websites do not offer steering aid options as an add-on at checkout. Additionally, individual branch staff might not be aware that steering aids are supported, or what the company regulations are. The option to provide your own steering aids was not a standard anywhere, although when asked, several companies were able to accommodate this. The issue of liability was raised by Avis which highlights the need to get detailed confirmation in writing. Clearer information on car hire websites would be useful and save time contacting customer services.

If you have had a good experience or cautionary tale from hiring a car as a disabled driver, please leave a comment below. So far I’ve learned that research and preparation in advance is key!

Health, Lifestyle

Wrist Splints Review

Hope Amos

My recommendations for wrist supports to prevent subluxation and clenching at night.

I have a pain response where I tightly clench my fist and arm in my sleep. This causes my wrist to sublux (joint pops partially out) and stretches and irritates my median nerve, which was damaged in an accident. Both of these things cause more pain and perpetuate the cycle so a year ago my doctor recommended wearing a wrist splint at night to prevent these things from happening.

Recently I had to replace my splint and was a bit bewildered by all the different options, so I have tested and reviewed six supports below. All the splints cover the palm and include a metal bar up the inside of the wrist and bent into the palm. It’s more comfortable than it sounds and the bar helps to stop the fist from folding in towards the arm. When putting a splint on I clench my fist and arm muscles with my arm straight so that I won’t make the splint too tight or restrictive.

In an ideal world, consult with your doctor for the best advice. I appreciate we don’t all have the access we need at the moment and sometimes a quick fix or stopgap is helpful. For the same reason, although I try to avoid it, these are all links to Amazon. They have a huge range of wrist supports, and a decent return and refund system.

My original splint (Praxis)

My doctor gave me this splint when I first said I was having problems clenching my fist overnight. The strap around the wrist and arm is fully adjustable as it can attach to anywhere on the neoprene and provides enough support to stop my wrist from subluxing. It’s easy to line up and put on one-handed because of the way the big strap wraps around. The neoprene gives some additional warmth which I find nice except for on very hot nights. This splint comes quite high up over the palm of the hand so the design and the metal bar inside really stop the wrist from being able to flex.

I love this splint and find that it works really well and is very comfortable. The only downside is that attaching the Velcro to the neoprene causes it to fuzz and become less sticky over time. I think the lifespan of this splint if you wear it every night is probably around six months before the Velcro stops working. You can sew Velcro on top of the neoprene to increase the lifespan which I did but after about 12 months it’s really frayed and stretched beyond repair.

Splint #2 (Praxis, £5.99)

I bought this splint as a replacement for my worn out one. It’s the same brand, but a slightly altered design. They’ve changed the type of velcro on the wrist wrapping part, maybe to try to avoid the neoprene fuzzing. I’m not sure if it’s an improvement as I found this made it less sticky at the edges.

It’s one size fits all; I have small hands and wrists and find it comfortable and supportive enough. It restricts wrist movement curling the hand towards the wrist best, but doesn’t totally restrict wrist movement side to side.

Splint #3 (Actesso, £9.85)

I was looking for something that would be more breathable and cooler to wear in the summer. The design of this splint is quite a common one with panels of stretchy, breathable fabric at the sides. It’s quite difficult to put this splint on because has multiple straps and it’s tricky to hold the splint closed and line them all up. I chose this splint specifically because it looked the most breathable, but unfortunately because it has both elastic and thin parts, it doesn’t prevent my wrist from bending very much.

Splint #4 (BodyTec, £6.49)

This splint has a similar design to the one above but is made of neoprene. Again, from the side view it can be seen that the fabric of the splint doesn’t actually overlap itself. This does cut down on bulkiness but if you’re looking for a sturdy wrist support, it might be too stretchy. It was still possible for me to flex my hand inwards and sublux my wrist so I found this splint too flimsy and didn’t brace my hand well enough.

Splint #5 (Zofore, £13.97 but currently unavailable*)

If splints are like a prison for your wrist, this splint is Alcatraz. It’s very well made and sturdy, and the design ensures that skin doesn’t get trapped in the join. The straps are not stretchy and the middle strap wraps all the way around the arm and back on itself, making this splint the most supportive that I tried. It’s possible to tighten the straps so that you have no flexion in the wrist at all. I ordered the smallest size but the top strap is still a little long, so has to be positioned at an angle. Overall the fit is fine for my wrist and arm though. It is made of breathable fabric but now it’s cooler I haven’t noticed whether it’s effective.

The ‘strengths’ (literally) of the splint are also its weaknesses. Three straps are quite difficult to coordinate with one hand, especially the long middle one which sticks to everything when I’m trying to put it on. The first few times it was difficult to find the correct fit and not over tighten it, which led to me cutting off my circulation in my sleep, because it’s not so stretchy.

* Correct October 29th 2020

Wrist support (Dr Arthritis, £12.95)

Not a splint, but I sometimes use this wrap-around neoprene wrist support during the day. Although not as supportive, I find it useful if my wrist is feeling very weak and I have to do something where I need wrist flexibility like yoga or moving heavy things around. The neoprene strap that wraps all round the wrist gives the extra support I need to stop my wrist subluxing. Again because it’s neoprene it showing signs of wear, but I’ll probably replace it with the same kind because it is very comfortable.

I can’t speak for how well these splints will help for other wrist conditions like arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome- you may find that you don’t need as much support or restriction of movement, or prefer to wear something less bulky. Several of the product pages state that they are used by the NHS although I’m not sure how you’d check that.

For preventing wrist clunching and subluxation at night, my top recommendation would be the Praxis splint, as I find it the easiest to put on and the most comfortable. Its only downsides are that it wears out relatively quickly (this may have been improved by the new design) and it can be hot to wear. The black Zofore splint was the sturdiest splint that I tried and was very supportive. I did find it difficult to get the fit right and coordinate the straps at first but have got the hang of it after a couple of weeks. I’d recommend putting a new splint on an hour or so before going to bed to get the fit right and avoid overtightening.

Tips for choosing a wrist splint:

  • Fewer straps will make it easier to put on
  • A strap that wraps all the way around the wrist will give better support
  • Stretchy and breathable materials might not provide enough support
  • Neoprene is a comfortable and warm material, maybe too warm
  • Doctors may advise against wearing splints in the day to avoid deconditioning muscle. Always speak to a doctor for the best advice

banner of a watercolour tiger painting, an oil painting of tomatoes, and an abstract yellow and blues acrylic painting
Hobbies and Sport

Quick and Easy Art Media Review

Hope Amos

I used to enjoy drawing and painting before my injury and have tried since, but found it too painful for my injured hand and too difficult with my non-dominant hand. I wanted to find something creative that would be fun and easy to do, without needing very fine motor skills.

I dug out a bunch of art supplies from my Art GCSE days and tried them out to see which techniques lend themselves best to non-dominant hand use. I decided to avoid using my dominant hand altogether which left me with my uninjured left hand that’s bad at aiming and still not used to holding a pencil.

Chalk Pastels

Pastels seemed like a good idea because there’s no equipment needed and no washing up. They’re also chunkier than pencils or paintbrushes. They needed more pressure than I had thought and I found them difficult to manipulate. It was also hard to aim because of the pastel’s blunt style combined with my lack of precision. The difficulty caused my right hand to tense up and move around in sympathy, so had the unintended effect of causing pain anyway. I was happy with my picture but I found the style frustrating and painful so I won’t be trying them again soon.

Solid Watercolours

These paints need water to be picked up and mixed in with the brush, which is difficult if you have problems stabilising your arm. A solution to this could be to add in water with an eyedropper, or to use tube watercolours. The paintbrush was thin and difficult to hold, so wrapping tape around it or using rubber pencil grips might have helped. Watercolours were good because very little pressure is needed, but adding details was hard and needed concentration to aim. It’s also not a very forgiving type of paint- if you make a mistake, it’s tricky to cover up. I think I’ll try again with watercolours, but using a different technique and style.

Oil paints

These paints are thick, squishy, and slow to dry so allow lots of corrections and alterations as you go; I used a palette knife to spread and mix the paints together on the page. I found this easier than using a brush because I didn’t have to be as accurate and the movement didn’t need as much dexterity. The only problem with oil paints is that they are tricky to clean up if you don’t have the water-soluble kind.

Acrylic Paints

Acrylic paints are faster to dry than oils but still thick. I premixed some different colours, dotted them randomly on a canvas board, then spread them with a palette knife for an abstract effect. This was quick, fun, and easy to do. It is also easy on the hand and wrist joints and didn’t need much pressure.

Final Thoughts

  • I found the thick paints to be easier to use than watercolours or pastels which needed greater accuracy. I liked the tactile (but low pressure) approach.
  • An easel would have been useful to stop the paper or canvas moving around on the table and I’ll look into that in future.
  • Working on a bigger scale would make adding details easier. I was working on A6 size paper for all except the acrylics (A5).