National peer support group (June)
This Local Peer Support Group provides a welcoming, safe and friendly opportunity for people to meet up to share experiences, tips and information.
Would you like to get behind the wheel of a super-car or be in the pilot seat to fly a plane but never thought you would be able to? If so we are pleased to invite you to our National Peer Support Group Summer meeting where we are delighted to be joined by Paul Ashurst, Founder of Ablenet Ltd, a company offering tailored experiences and products to people with disabilities or visual impairment of all types and ages.
Paul has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and is a wheelchair user. He always enjoyed new experiences and saw no reason why this should be limited just because he is in a wheelchair. Paul wanted to continue enjoying new and exciting experiences alongside his family and quickly realised that it was difficult having a disability in finding such activities, other than the usual visit to a museum or park. What Paul really wanted was one website offering great experiences, cool products, holidays and a chatroom. As there is nothing like this on a national basis, he decided to create one, hence AbleNet.co.uk was born.
Ablenet.co.uk now has great new partnerships with companies such as iFLY, Everyman Racing, Cotswold Rallying , UK Skiing and Aerobility. Through Ablenet, their amazing accessible experiences are now available to be bought by people of all abilities or as a gift for someone you know. They are also the Disability Partner of Virgin Experience Days.
If you thought driving a Supercar at 95mph for someone who is blind would be impossible, then think again! View one of the V.I Ablenet experience drive days.
Ablenet have shared some of their great feedback below:
“I booked a driving experience through Ablenet as a gift for my husband who is registered blind. I never expected to be able to book an experience like this because I just didn’t think it could be inclusive enough to meet his needs. Ablenet have been fantastic at providing an inclusive experience. My husband had an amazing time and felt safe and comfortable at all times. He also said that all staff involved in the day were accommodating and patient. Their attentiveness was also extended to my husbands guide dog, who they treated with admiration and respect the entire time. My husband was able to drive a super car!! Never in a million years did he think he’d be behind a wheel again. The experience also included a ride around the track at top speed by a professional, which my husband said was absolutely amazing. We would highly recommend Ablenet to anyone with a disability or visual impairment who want to enjoy experience days like this.”
We hope you can join us and look forward to hearing about any experience days you have taken part in.
Please note that this meeting will be recorded and the audio only uploaded to our You Tube channel so please do not share any personal contact information. However, please feel free to share your experiences living with sight loss but only if you feel comfortable in doing so and remember that others outside of this meeting will be able to hear it on this public platform.