It was a freezing cold and snowy day that changed customer Paul’s life for the better.
That was the day he – and his partner Jaki – met our director Matt in High Wycombe to test drive an Omeo wheelchair for the first time.
‘I was very nervous,’ Paul recalls. ‘I’d used a manual wheelchair for 14 years, but once I was in the Omeo it gave me such a buzz. It was a whole new world of freedom.’
Just as importantly, that was also the day the couple learned (from Matt) about the support you can receive via the government's Access to Work grant scheme.
Getting help to buy an Omeo
Access to Work is the government scheme that can help you get or stay in paid work if you have a physical or mental health condition, illness or disability.
Paul’s work involves repairing small engines on everything from lawnmowers and chainsaws to motorbikes and quads.
‘Securing funding for my Omeo and using it to get out more to work has given me a purpose again.’
A whole new world of freedom
The Omeo’s hands-free, all-terrain capability has also transformed his time away from the job.
‘We’re outdoor people so the Omeo’s been a complete gamechanger for us both,’ he says.
‘It’s given me more independence. It’s given me what I can’t have in a manual wheelchair – a whole new world.’
Jaki agrees: ‘There’s always somewhere we want to go to, something we want to do. It’s enabling us to go everywhere without worrying about the paths.’
Making the most of summer outside
Paul cites a day trip the couple did in July to the seafront at Littlehampton in West Sussex.
‘We were on the promenade, Jaki and our friends were walking and I’d already gone off down the length of the promenade by myself. It was beautiful, beautiful…’
Jaki shares their experience of a recent food festival too.
‘It was on grass, with a slope into it. Paul couldn’t have done it before but this time he contemplated the hill and then went up.
‘For us, that was such an eye-opener. It means that next time we’re off to a festival we won’t need to worry about the paths.’
Both agree their videos of Paul in action in his Omeo don’t really ‘do it justice’. ‘Our walk up to Windsor Great Horse [in Windsor Great Park] was pretty damn impressive,’ reveals Paul.
‘Jaki’s having to walk faster and further now that I can go up slopes and hills! The grandchildren love it too.’
Gaining confidence in the tech
It’s clear Paul’s Omeo wheelchair has transformed many aspects of their lives.
However, both he and Jaki are keen to stress that while our tech is ‘the ultimate gamechanger’, it takes time and patience to learn to use.
‘And that’s nothing to be ashamed of,’ he says.
‘My manual wheelchair was quite restrictive but I’d felt safe in it for many years. I’d never used an electric wheelchair before. Two months in, I’m still learning to feel confident in my Omeo – and to trust it too.
‘I had an incident, I fell off and then it sat in the hallway for two weeks.
‘But these things happen: it’s the same as someone tripping on a kerb or walking into a doorway. I had to regain my confidence. Like everyone else, I’m going to make mistakes.’
Taking time to learn the ropes
Jaki compares Paul’s experience to learning to drive an automatic if you’ve only ever driven a manual car.
‘The key is not to expect too much of yourself,’ she says. ‘It’s okay to get things ‘wrong’ and it’s okay to be learning. Don’t rush yourself and think you’ll get it all straight away.’
Paul agrees, adding this practical tip for other Adapt Ability customers: ‘Take on board what Matt says.
‘He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, like always keeping your Omeo’s batteries charged. I let mine run down completely and then had to buy more.’
Wise words…
Putting the Omeo through its paces
Paul also urges other new Omeo owners to get out and put their new Omeo wheelchair through its paces.
‘I appreciate value and how much everything costs, so when I first got it I put my Omeo on a pedestal.
‘But Matt says he likes to see them being used to the full so I’m happier to do more stuff in mine now. It’s an everyday item – it’s there to be used. That’s taken me time to understand.’
Want to take an Omeo wheelchair for a spin? Choose one of three easy ways to try our tech here
Comments