My Driving Experience
Just like any other teenager, I too was excited to get my learners to permit. I loved that I was learning a new skill and the fact of being able to have more independence; not really to go hang out with friends, but to be able to drive myself anywhere I wanted to go without relying on my parents to drive me. For a few years, I went back and forth on whether I wanted to drive or not. I loved the idea of it, but then my ego would get in the way and would change my mind because of my disabilities. when I finally made the decision that I wanted to drive for the hundredth time, I wasted no time and got on the computer to teach myself how to drive; well through games, but still I self-taught myself. A few weeks later, my mom searched around and found an online Driver's Ed course in which I started right away. It took me through everything I needed to know without having to go into an actual building. It was nice because it allowed me to work at my own pace, have fun, and let me review lessons whenever I needed to refresh on a topic. With all the studying I did I was able to complete the course in two months, scheduled a time to take my test at the DMV, and got my permit. I was so excited about my accomplishment that I started practicing twice a week with my dad. The first few times I started off practicing in a Park and Ride parking lot. I actually did a pretty good job except for the one time that I ran over the poor bush when I turned right too soon. Sorry bush, it was nothing personal. After spending a few more weeks practicing here I got better at driving around this parking lot without running over anything and moved to practicing in our neighborhood where there are more cars driving around, stop signs, multiple turns, and a traffic circle. To my surprise, I picked up on how to do everything that my dad told me to do quickly and it felt more like a fun time than a driving lesson. Then one day, when my dad and I were heading home from the grocery store he turned to me and asked if I wanted to drive? I looked at him and in an excited voice I said "yes" The next thing I know, he turns right into a neighborhood just off Woodmen, pulls up next to the curb, and asks me if I am ready? This was a big surprise to me since I just started driving in our neighborhood. There was a moment of silence as we looked at one another, then in an excited, but kind of shaky voice I said "yes I am" and unbuckled my seatbelt. I slowly get out of the car, watching for passing cars and hopped in front of the stirring wheel. I did all the pre-driving actions that I was taught which included; putting on my seat belt, adjusting all the mirrors, adjusting the seat, and making sure all passengers had their seatbelts on. From there, my dad told me to turn left out of the neighborhood then turn right onto the main road. I sat still parked parallel to the side of the curb feeling excited, but a little nervous about driving out onto the actual road with a lot of cars around. I leaned back in my seat and took a deep breath to help calm my mind before I put the car into gear and pulled away from the curb. I flipped on my left turn blinker at the end of the street and as I wait to make my turn, I listened to the sound of the blinker making its noise that sounds like its screaming "turn left, turn left". It is so pushy, doesn't it know that I have to wait for traffic to be clear before I can go. I then turned left as I was instructed, stopped to make sure it was clear, and made a right-hand turn onto the main road that was overflowed with cars of all sizes. Imagine being out on the open road for the first time with a thousand cars speeding around you, you have to keep your eyes on the road while watching for the other drivers, and on top of that, you are blind in your peripheral vision on both sides and have some blindness in front of both eyes. It was pretty scary at first, but after I got used to the motion of driving it felt more like a driver's test than a practice session. We made right- hand turns, left-hand turns, practiced four-way stops, went through traffic circles, he even tested me on each of the signs we passed to make sure I knew them all. I think I did pretty well for being a first-time driver and continued following the directions that my dad gave me as I drove down the road. At one point though, as I drove down Lexington we came across a detour that required you to go through another neighborhood in order to get around. I got in the turn lane, turned on my left blinker, and as I sat there waiting for the oncoming traffic to pass while trying to figure out where I needed to go; a guy pulls up behind me and I suddenly hear a loud " HONK" of a car horn coming from the car behind me. Unsure of what to do, I make the left-hand turn in between a large gap of cars into the neighborhood. I slowed down a little and asked " was that guy honking at me?" My dad looks at me and said " yes, but don't let it get to you. You did everything correctly." I glanced over at him while still keeping my attention on the road and said "ok" in a shaky voice. A few minutes later, we turned back into our neighborhood indicating that the driving lesson was over. Even though I did a good job of driving, I decided that driving was a little too stressful for my liking because of how many different things are happening at once on the road. With that being said, I never got to the point of getting my drivers license; but hey, at least I tried it, and even though I will not drive with my eyesight I at least learned a new skill, in which I can use if there is ever an emergency.
Tips For Driving With Disabilities
During the time I was learning how to drive I picked up on some tips that will help keep both you and the other driver's same while on the road. Some of these tips include;
- Do what works best for you
In driving school, at least here in Colorado, they teach you to position your hands on the stirring wheel where you're left hand is at 10 if you were looking at a clock and the right hand is at 2. The thing is though, how do you apply this while you are driving if you only use one hand? For me, instead of following this method, I place my right hand at the 12 positions so I can control the whole stirring wheel.
- Your reaction time is slower, so make sure to check your mirrors often
Being a person with disabilities, I recognized the fact that my reaction time was a lot slower than other people. While driving through, I made it a habit to check all my mirrors multiple times, so I can make sure to see all the people around me. In order for me to do this with how bad my eyesight is, I slow down just enough that allows me to both focus on the road and be able to turn slightly to see out my mirrors.
- Always take a deep breath before driving to help calm your mind
Driving can be stressful for anyone that is driving for the first time, but in my opinion, I think that driving with disabilities is not impossible, but dependently a lot harder. You have to be more aware and alert than the other drivers, so I recommend taking a deep breath whenever you feel stressed whether it be before you even start driving or while driving.
- Don't let what other drivers do on the road to get to you
There is a lot of things going on at once when you are driving on the open road. People are changing lanes, making sudden stops, people going at different speeds, and people weaving their way through the lanes to get where they are going a few seconds faster. The important thing to remember though is that we all have free will to do and drive how we want to while on the road. Everyone is their own person and does things in their own way; including you, but does that make how other people do things right or wrong just because it is different from how you do things? No, in life, with any situation whether it be driving or something else, the only person you can control is you not anyone else. If you know that you are doing the right thing, then why even focus your energy on something you can't control like someone's actions. It isn't worth it.
Other Ways To Get From Point A to Point B
Driving isn't for everyone, but how I look at it, is that accomplishing something gets you further in the world, but trying over and over again is what builds character. In some people's eyes, it may seem like I started a task and gave up on it, but in my eyes, I learned a new skill that I can use when I need to, I tried it, and to me, that built more on my character than anything else which is an accomplishment to me.
Luckily for me, I am in a position that I have my family to drive me, but how do you get around town when you live on your own, you don't drive, and you don't have anyone to drive you? With a little help from google, I found a few different ways that people with disabilities can still get around on their own.
- ridesharing apps like Uber or Lyft
- Different metro services
- Carpool with a friend
- Walk or ride a bike
Here are just a few different ways you can cheaply and easily get from point A to Point B. I highly recommend that if you are in any situation that requires you to be there at a certain time whether it be work, school, doctors appointment, or any other activity, that you get the address ahead of time and on a day that you are free to get the address/ time of the place you need to go, use one of these methods of transportation, figure out what route you need to take, and how much time you need to leave in order to get to that place on time.
To Conclude
As you can see, there are many different ways you can commute from one place to another. Driving isn't for everyone and that is ok. With the help of family, friends, and the community you can still get around town with disabilities.