For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Lilly Cook and I

have Cerebral Palsy. So when I go out I prefer to use my wheelchair.

In this post I’m going to be giving you some useful information and tips to ensure you have a great day and/or evening out with your friends.

My Cerebral Palsy always affects my eye sight so I’m not able to drive. This means using taxis or public transport to go out and about.

Things to think about:

Travel arrangements

What’s the easiest and most comfortable way for me to get to where I need to be?

Things to consider and helpful tips

Can you get a lift?

How far is it you need to go?

Can you get public transport?

Do you need to take a taxi?

How much will it cost you?

Can the driver drop you right outside where you need to be?

Think about the time that you need to be there, see how long it will take you to get there, ask a rough price (they may or may not be able to give you an answer to this, but an estimate will help).

If you do need to rely on taxis, then a word of advice for you all is to try and pre-book. Also if you know what time the event finishes, then to save yourself time you could pre-book the return journey too.

Choosing where to go

It’s no secret that everyone lives on different incomes/ budgets and that is personal to them. So, this is an important factor to remember when choosing a location and/ or activity to do when out with a group.

There is no point being able to get somewhere and then realising that you can’t enjoy yourself because you’re low on cash.

A thing that me and my friends always need to think about is whether the location is wheelchair accessible.

If you need support staff

Do you need your pa to come with you / or to travel with you?

Do you need to arrange for cover or a pa to do over time?

I know I’m an adult and don’t always need to ask permission to go out, but I always try to tell someone where I’m going, how I’m getting there and when I’m roughly expecting to be returning.

Planning and organisation is key to going on a night out in a wheelchair, and following some of my tips and useful information will help you to feel worry free and enjoy your day and/or night out.