Find A More Accessible Dealer At Motability.co.uk And Directenquiries.com

Main Category: Muscular Dystrophy / ALS
Article Date: 09 Sep 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Disabled motorists can now pinpoint the most accessible dealers in their area, using a new search tool on the Motability website

Motability, the leading car scheme for disabled people, has worked with directenquiries.com the Nationwide Access Register, to publish online access information about each of the 4,000-plus car dealerships offering the Motability Scheme. The search tool enables people thinking of getting a new car to prioritise the results depending on their requirements, for example, wheelchair access or induction loop.

Easy-to-follow icons depict additional services available from dealers such as onsite MOTs, pick-up and return transfers, and if a wash and vac service is available. Browsers can also use the new tool to see specific pieces of information such as whether the dealership features wheelchair access to all cars on the forecourt and in the showroom, if there is room for electric wheelchairs in key areas, and even if staff have completed disability equality training.

Mike Betts, chief executive of Motability Operations explained:

"For the first time information on the accessibility levels and additional features of car dealerships is available in one place and at customers' fingertips. With the support of Direct Enquiries these details are now easy to view, making it simple for customers to choose the nearest dealership offering services that match their requirements. The great news is that car dealerships have seen the assessments as an incentive to upgrade their facilities in order to improve their services to this market."

Direct Enquiries assessed the car dealerships offering the Motability Car Scheme to establish the facilities available such as accessible toilets, low payment counters, and where information is available in alternative formats. The details, now part of dealer locator service online at http://www.motability.co.uk and http://www.directenquiries.com enables users to find the closest Motability dealership with the facilities and services they need.

Many dealerships have responded to the accessibility assessments by investing in better facilities. BMW Battersea, offering BMW and MINI cars to Motability customers have made their showroom more user-friendly with assistance bells, new hearing induction loops and customer care kits for those with arthritis and visibility challenges. Plus, both sales and after-sales staff have been booked onto Motability Operations' disability confidence training courses.

Grant Kennedy, chief executive of Direct Enquiries commented:

"Mobility is vital to everyday life, so providing people with information about their most convenient Motability dealership makes perfect sense. Direct Enquiries has four years' experience in providing accessibility information, I am confident that the initiative will be a valuable asset to Motability Operations and its customers."

The Motability Scheme delivers affordable motoring solutions for disabled people and their families. Anyone who receives the Higher Rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance or the War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement can use this to pay for the lease of a brand new car. This includes insurance, maintenance and breakdown cover. No credit checks or additional medical assessments are required and customers can receive a new car every three years.

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