East Hampshire school first to receive pioneering technology
Treloar's in Alton is the first college in the country to have received the Ability Drive
A school in East Hampshire is the first in the country to get a piece of groundbreaking software.
‘Ability Drive’ allows a wheelchair user to control their wheelchair with their eyes. It will make Treloar’s the first school in the country that will be able to offer the service, to people that cannot use switch or joystick-controlled wheelchairs.
22 year old student Luca, who attends Treloar’s, became their first student to use the Ability Drive.
Luca has cerebral palsy, and this technology has given him an opportunity to have complete control of moving his wheelchair around.
The acquiring of the Ability Drive was supported by a number of local donors, including the Hays Travel Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights and the Cheyne Charity.
Luca expressed his happiness about using the software, saying he's "happy" and "really excited."
Jenny Duddey is one of the Occupational Therapists at Treloar's, she said that "we're really excited to be able to try something new.
"We're always at Treloar's looking to be at the forefront of new technology, so that's been a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience new independence that they've not had access to before."
Head of Occupational Therapy, Victoria Pitt, said that this could become a common piece of software in a few years time: "I think it will become more commonplace as people see it working with real disabled youngsters."