ABSTRACT
In autumn 1984, the authors were appointed by the UK Department of Transport to advise on how the Department might most effectively assist in the development of advisory services for disabled car drivers and other disabled people requiring help with transport-related problems. In December 1985, the Mobility Advice and Vehicle Information Service (MAVIS) opened, providing assessments of driving capability advice and consultation on vehicles and adaptations, and the opportunity to test drive a range of adapted cars on an off-road track. The methodology used consisted of personal interviews lasting up to an hour and a half with people who had been to the MAVIS between then and 22 months before the date of the interview. The respondents lived predominantly in the south-east of England and came from a wide variety of socio-economic groups and family compositions, and their ages ranged from teens to 70s.
