Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles Change Lives

Before driving a wheelchair accessible vehicle of his own, Hudson-Peralta often stayed home or was driven around by family members.

“I remember being a kid and my friends were going and doing whatever they wanted, and I'd be stuck either in my manual wheelchair or having my parents drive me around,” he said.

With an accessible vehicle, Hudson-Peralta said, “I'm super independent. I can go to work. I can do whatever I want. It helps me be independent and not have to rely on people to get around.”

Driving Independence for People With Disabilities

The road to independence for Hudson-Peralta was full of what he refers to as “speed bumps.” While his physical disability slowed the process of getting his license, it did not stop him from getting behind the wheel.

Hudson-Peralta has used accessible vehicles since childhood. His parents first drove a Dodge Grand Caravan with woodgrain accents. When he was old enough to get his own vehicle, he purchased a Chrysler Town & Country with a foldout ramp.

His experience, though, wasn't without a few more speed bumps. While his friends were driving at 16, Hudson-Peralta spent three years saving for his vehicle, attending driver's education and learning to drive with adaptive equipment.

Eventually, Hudson-Peralta completed his driver training. All that was left was the driving test, but the DMV told him it was “impossible” because it did not have driver evaluators who specialized in adaptive driving.

After a few weeks, he was evaluated for a license just as a driver without a disability would be, and he earned his license.