Enabling the disabled
Sebenzile Mthembu and instructor Sibongile Dlamini getting ready for a driving lesson
Dalena van Jaarsveld
LOCAL disabled people in wheelchairs now have an easier time to obtain their driver's licences.
Thanks to an initiative of the Easy Way Driving School that have fitted one of their cars with controls enabling disabled people to take driving lessons, the disabled are not left behind.
'Public transport is a big hassle for disabled people, because bus and taxi drivers don't like to have the inconvenience of dealing with wheelchairs,' explains driving school owner Vee Sibanda, the main driving force behind the initiative.
Since the driving school started providing the service two months ago, three disabled students have already passed their driving tests and one student, Sebenzile Mthembu (25), has come from as far as Manguzi to receive training.
Sebenzile works for the uMhlabuyalingana Municipality, where she is the personal assistant of the municipal manager, and says that being able to drive will help her a lot.
'My sister has to drive me to work everyday, but if I have a license, I will be able to go on my own,' she says.
Nothula Zulu passed her driver's license test two weeks ago and says she is very excited because it will help her to get a job.
'My mother and I live together, and she is also in a wheelchair, so if I can drive and maybe get a job, it will really help us,' she says.
Nothula, who is doing computer science studies through UNISA, said she started applying for jobs as soon as she had her license.
The driving school has since also received requests to train deaf and dumb students to drive and Sibanda will soon be taking a course in sign language to expand his service.
'It is my passion to help these people,' says Sibanda.
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