Physical disability - desperate and utterly evident need for a vehicle - any input(s)/idea, PLEASE?

Question

Hi there!

PLEASE don’t take this as a silly question or something… just try to understand well and give it a good thought before responding… OR else, please give me a favor by NOT responding, and THANKS!

I’m 25 yrs old, residing in Africa and with a physical disability. I graduated with a law degree a couple of years back and I’m currently employed in a certain civic organization basically as a Junior Legal Consultant… I also teach some courses as a part time lecturer in a couple of colleges here, and I’m currently planning to begin my master’s studies in international laws and humanities. Well, to make a real long story brief, the point is that I do exert a maximum effort possible at handling life as well as I could, and I never ever gave into whining or complaining, even for a tiny sec, about the disability I have and its impacts. But I’m currently facing a rather increasingly HUGE hurdle to my routine life here… and that’s nothing but the difficulty I’m undergoing in terms of my routine transportation needs to go to work, etc. Of course my disability isn’t a very exaggerated one and I can well walk without any other assistance using orthotic appliance (walking braces)… but when it comes to transportations, I have no option but to use regular taxis and other public transportation means, which are all TOTALLY INACCESSIBLE for me to get on. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been using what we call in this country “contract taxis” – kinda like cabs which, unlike regular taxis and public transportations, come and pick me up from home all the way to work. The expense that I have to incur daily in order to use these cabs is, however, simply A LOT and just unbearable for me… it’s too much that I’ve been throwing almost ALL of my monthly income on this. You can imagine what that means and where that could leave me (fortunately, I’m still living with my family and don’t have to pay rents, etc… life would’ve been literally one h**l of a problem IF that wasn’t the case).

I think you might’ve already guessed the bottom line I’m heading at here… I know that having a vehicle isn’t that much of a big deal in the developed world, but that is obviously not so on the MY side of the world… not even when the need is THIS evident and so desperate as in my case…wherein I’m just thriving to be a better, contributing person, and have come a LONG way already by surmounting multitudes of hurdles (quite an unfair world it is, huh?!). Anyways, if YOU guys come across any thought/suggestion that, in your opinion, may help me get hold of a vehicle I can use here, or any helpful idea that could help me make life much less difficult, PLEASE help me out here! Especially, any idea alluding to adaptable kind of vehicles – vehicles that physically disabled people can use (plus, how and where I could get them, etc.) would be a whole lot helpful and so greatly appreciated!

Thanx for ur willingness to lend a crucial hand here!

Blessings, Henni ([e-mail]).

Answer 1

Well Henni, you need a car.  You should contact marketing divisions for major manufacturers and Vehicle rental places like Hertz, Avis, places like that.  Tell them your story and perhaps they can help.  Also, contact Oprah.com.