While I’m waiting for my Motability car to be built, I’m having my wife’s old car adapted to use hand controls. This is being done right now, so I should be more mobile from this weekend. Not that I need to use a car much, I go most places in my chair, under my own steam. But it will be good to get my racing chair out to safer and flatter places while I get used to it.

I’d expected the hand controls to be electronic and was a little suspicious. A lifetime spent working in software has made me prefer simple, low-tech, elegant solutions where possible and it turns out these adaptations are that. They’re basically a rod and a set of hinged joints attached to a lever: pull to accelerate, push to brake. I’m also getting a ball fitted to the steering wheel.

Here’s the firm that’s fitting it. I’ll let you know how it goes.