Brittany’s Story

Brittany is working towards her goal to drive independently with cerebral palsy through the guidance and financial support of UCP of Nebraska’s Client Assistance Grant Program and CHI’s Immanuel Rehabilitation Institute. 

CHI’s Driver’s Assessment and Rehabilitation Program consists of a specialist team of Occupational Therapists and Approved Driving Instructors who provide professional support and training for vehicle adaptation, driving evaluation and behind the wheel instruction to people who need to gain, or retain, the ability to drive following a diagnosis involving impairment or disability. 

Brittany, born with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy developed an interest in learning to drive at the age of 18. Soon after, while behind the wheel, she was involved in a collision and made the difficult decision to give up driving for a while. A few years later while on a job search, she realized transportation was an obstacle and limited her employment opportunities, so she began the process of obtaining her driver’s license once again. With UCP of Nebraska’s help, Brittany began her driving assessments at CHI Rehabilitation Institute. As well as re-learning to drive a car, it was important Brittany found the most comfortable and suitable vehicle adaptations to ensure safe driving. During this time, she trialed a variety of driving aids as well as cushions and backrests until the best accessible options were identified.

“It was a slow process – which was exactly what I needed to build back my confidence. My assessor, was incredibly patient, she tried many different mobility aids in a bid to simplify the driving process for me. Without UCP of Nebraska’s assistance, I would not be back on the road to independence”.