Grateful Hands Blog

       I began preparing for my vehicle modification and assistive technology with Voc Rehab towards the end of my junior year of college. One of the first steps in this journey, was scheduling a driver’s evaluation and training from Shepherd’s Center in Atlanta. For this to take place, I needed a “prescription” from a doctor. Essentially, I needed a doctor to describe my medical condition and why it was necessary for me to go through the driver’s training. I was able to get that from my orthopedic doctor at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.                While I waited for the call from Shepherd’s Center to set up my driver’s evaluation and training, I began shopping around for vehicles and submitting inquiries online. We wrote letters to several local car dealerships asking them if they could donate a vehicle that I could use to modify. We didn’t hear back from the dealerships, which was very disappointing. This was another roadblock in my journey, or so I thought. A few months

    Our initial meeting with Vocation Rehabilitation (Voc. Rehab.) was so exciting and by this time, I was nearing the end of my senior year! Along with offering driving and assistive technology, Voc Rehab had a major focus on educational support as well. The purpose of Voc Rehab’s services is to aid those who were either pursuing post-secondary education or entering the work force. I had already been accepted into Fort Valley State University, so I met this qualification and had to provide them with my acceptance letter.            As I began school at Fort Valley State, I provided Voc Rehab with my schedule and dorm information. We were told that because I lived on campus and wasn’t close to home, I didn’t need a car. That was far from the truth considering Fort Valley is 2 hours away from home. Each time I had a doctor’s appointment, my parents had to drive to me to get me there. That was a 2-hour ride, to and from, so it was very time taxing on our bodies and our vehicl