Jamie subsequently branched out and in February of this year launched Hearing Direct, an online hearing aid company that offered hearing aids from as little as £99 as compared to an average industry spend of £1,000 per device.

During the launch Jamie made the valid point that there are scammers who charge vulnerable people well over the odds for a hearing aid and mis sell as a way of life.  As James said, “It’s the equivalent to going into an old people’s home and mugging them.”

As an industry insider I can understand James’ stance but I have serious doubts about his solution.  Are hearing aids for £99 really any good? Is an online hearing test really accurate? 

James’ solution is almost as bad as the problem really, two ends of a spectrum where the primary focus is perhaps to make money rather than offer a bespoke, honest solution to a hearing impaired individual. Note: my lawyer asked me to stress the word “perhaps”.

The middle ground is, in my opinion, the best option. This involves selecting an established hearing aid company that employs qualified Hearing Aid Audiologists (yes, that is what they are called!) who spend anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes testing your hearing. Once that’s done they will be in a prime position to advise accordingly, especially once they have established your budget, lifestyle and the extent of your hearing loss.

The next question is how do you ensure that the hearing aid you are sold is fairly priced?  Well, here are two pieces of advice:

1.      Get a lowest price guarantee that ensures a hearing aid company is pricing its hearing aids as low (or lower) as anyone else in the market.

 2.      Ask for a no-strings 30-day full money back programme.

 It sounds simple and….it is!  Follow these clear guidelines and you can be assured that you are getting the very best hearing aid that is tailored to your own circumstances, hearing loss and budget.

One company that offers all the above is Natural Hearing, one of the UK’s leading hearing aid specialists.  I can recommend them. Even better, the company offers completely free hearing aid tests in the comfort of your own home.  You can book a hearing test by calling 0800 228 9865 or simply visit the company’s website at www.naturalhearing.co.uk (or Natural Hearing’s Facebook page).

Finally, Mobility Compare offers a free Hearing Aid Buyers Guide which can be downloaded by clicking here.  It’s worth reading if you are in the market for a hearing aid.  Better to be informed before you buy rather than after!

Whatever the ruling, the increase in accidents and fatalities has been on a steep upward trajectory. We’re only five days into this month and already an elderly lady from Kent has tragically died after a collision with a recovery van.

In the meantime it’s vital that elderly and mobility impaired individuals choose a solid, reliable scooter from a reputable and trusted source.  Manufacturers like Quingo, TGA, Sunrise Medical and mobility specialists such as More Than Mobility and Comfort Plus are all excellent suppliers of scooters and are hugely experienced in the mobility sector.

Comfort Plus is a particular favourite of mine.  A family run company based in Hertfordshire, Comfort Plus supplies a great range of scooters and, importantly, knows what’s required from one.  How do I know this?  The company labels its road going scooter range as ‘Heavy Duty Class 3”.  That’s precisely what’s needed – firstly, any road going scooter needs to be more robust than a bulldog’s jaw and secondly it needs to be Class 3 which is the Government’s labeling of a road-legal 8mph mobility scooter.

The company’s heavy duty mobility scooter is a sturdier model than its smaller counterpart and can support greater body weights. And true to the manufacturer’s specifications, the scooter can hit speeds of up to 8 miles an hour and cover 35 miles on a single battery charge. It also has high-quality direction indicators and hazard flashers along with head and tail lights. The tyres are large and offer good grip on the road.

rugged and dependable – the Cadiz mobility scooter

The controls are impressive too. The hand controls are simple and there is a good range of adjustment settings. The scooter is also fitted with the supremely comfortable ‘Captain Seat’, a must-have if you are planning trips of more than a few miles.

All in all, Comfort Plus’ range of heavy duty road-legal scooters can’t be faulted.  Most importantly, this is a company that knows the mobility sector inside out and knows what its customers need, not just what they want.

Comfort Plus can be reached by calling 01462 678050 or by emailing the following address: info@comfortplusproducts.co.uk.  Its website can be found by clicking on Comfort Plus.

I’m not the only one.  Sir Philip Green, the retailing titan who owns BHS is the proud owner of the entire back stock of Nokia 6130’s just in case one breaks.  Ditto Marco Pierre White.  Both are rather public owners of straightforward, no nonsense, simple phones that do what they say on the tin.

For the mobility impaired the issue of mobile phones runs somewhat deeper.  It’s just not a question of choice but practicality.   The fiddly buttons, small screens and tricky navigation can make them a true nightmare, especially for the hard of sight and people with dexterity problems (for example arthritis sufferers).

That’s why I’ve been rather taken with the latest addition to Bea Fon’s range of big button mobiles. Bea Fon is a new big button mobile phone manufacturer who provides phones that are not only easy to use but stylish and modern in design.

The Bea-fon S20 is the latest easy to use, basic mobile phone with a whole range of useful features for everyday use. At just 85g the Beafon S20 is also one of the lightest easy to use big button phones on the market.  

stylish, smart and practical

The Bea-fon S20 is the latest easy to use, basic mobile phone with a whole range of useful features for everyday use. At just 85g the Beafon S20 is also one of the lightest easy to use big button phones on the market.  

With a curvy design the Beafon S20 is secure to hold while being easy on the eye with its distinctive but discrete big button design, making it ideal for those whose eyesight is less than perfect.

The Bea-fon S20 also boasts quad band GSM communication, a solid talk time of up to 250 min and a standby time of nearly 350 hours.  As a hearing aid friendly phone the Bea-fon S20 additionally has futures to suit the hard of hearing with 5 Ringtone levels, hands free functionality, adjustable headset volume and hearing aid compatibility.

The Bea-fon S20 caters for the security conscious with a useful range of security features such as an SOS button for emergency calls and SMS messages, built-in flashlight and a key lock button preventing accidental calls.

All in all, the Bea Fon S20 is designed to cater for everyone with its large clear screen, big buttons, loud ringer and hearing aid compatibility.  However, most importantly it really assists those who may be partially sighted, dexterity impaired or hard of hearing.  It is available in both black and white for just £99.00 at www.MatobShop.co.uk.

BTW, if you are mobility impaired, don’t forget to visit Mobility Compare which has an excellent comparison chart, buyers’ guides and news on all things mobility.

Apparently Stirling was ‘absolutely fascinated’ with the variety of mobility products on display and ‘marvelled at how technically advanced many of the solutions are these days.’  In fact, pound for pound modern day mobility scooters are more advanced technically than the Formula One cars Stirling drove in the 60’s. Obviously not as fast though.

 Tim Ross of TGA said, “We were delighted to welcome Sir Stirling onto our stand and assist him around the show. He explained to me the marvellous and inventive mobility solutions he had seen on our stand and around the show and concluded that his recent accident proved restricted mobility can happen anytime – hence experiencing The Mobility Roadshow was a must.”

It’s difficult when you’re a retired Formula One driver

The Mobility Roadshow was held earlier this month at the East of England Showground, Peterborough. Free to attend, the Roadshow is the only event of it’s kind in the UK where visitors can test drive a whole range of mobility products and adapted vehicles before purchasing. There was plenty to get involved with at this year’s show which included wheelchair basketball, rugby, tag rugby, sledge hockey, wheelchair dance and skills sessions for younger visitors. Plus in the Activity Zone you could try your hand at laser clays, archery, the climbing wall, adapted go-karts and a 4×4 experience.

The weather was great for all three days, which was fantastic for visitors, but left a few exhibitors red-faced and white-strapped from a lack of suntan cream.

Many exhibitors launch new products at the Roadshow, which means you get to see the latest innovations in mobility technology before they reach the market. My favourites?  There were some good offerings from Aquasoothe especially its unbelievably light portable scooter called the TravelLite which splits into 3 parts (so it can easily be taken on trains and planes); More Than Mobility with its stunning range of electric wheelchairs;   TGA and its Supersport; Portaramp (lightweight wheelchair access ramps); and Q’Straint (world leader in wheelchair passenger safety solutions) – all launched new products this year that resulted in high levels of interest, especially when visitors could touch and test products before purchasing.

Aquasoothe’s TravelLite which weighs just 25 kilogrammes

As ever, The Mobility Roadshow provided a great day out (for the whole family) and will do the same next year. Just remember to take your suntan cream!

Coming straight after the England World Cup defeat it’s not easy to sing the praises of a German company but, unlike our players, I will strain to remain utterly professional and I’ll certainly never stoop so low as to mention the war. 

Anyway, Otto Bock has announced that it will showcase the prototype of its latest innovation, the Scout Crawler, for the first time in Peterborough. The all-terrain ‘’platform’ as they like to call it, features two rows of robust tracks and has been designed to take manual wheelchairs from pavements and firm surfaces onto rugged and challenging terrain such as sand and snow. Its versatility is said to enhance movement for standard wheelchair users and enable them to traverse more freely and enjoy a wider variety of outdoor activities.

The jury’s out on this.  On the one hand, it’s a great innovation that will allow the mobility impaired to venture out into places they would never otherwise be able to visit – snowy terrain, rough hiking paths and trails, beaches and so on. 

The drawback is that it is built like a tank.  Call it the Rambo wheelchair.  Here’s a photo:

 The Otto Bock Scout Crawler

Talking to a mobility impaired friend of mine who resides in Teddington, London, his view was that you’d need serious resources to be able to use a ‘wheelchair’ like the Scout Crawler – a big vehicle or trailer to carry the darn’ thing, a big garage or outside area to store it, a physically strong carer and, above all, enough money to buy the contraption and all its accessories.  For those with limited resources, it’s a straight toss-up between investing in a Scout Crawler or having a two week holiday in the Maldives each and every year.  That’s perhaps a little trite but it rams the point home.

Overall, though, it’s difficult to be too critical of the Scout Crawler.  Otto Bock continually pushes the edges of innovation and crucially gives those who are mobility impaired more choice.  It’s the same with the Scout Crawler – it might not be to everyone’s taste or means, but for those who miss the outdoor life it opens up new opportunities.  For this reason alone Otto Bock should be applauded.

If and when it goes into production no one knows – I’m sure it will depend on initial reaction and feedback from focus groups and audience reaction at exhibitions like the Mobility Roadshow 2010.  Watch this space…..

Finally, for more information on mobility scooters (which are a handy alternative to powered wheelchairs), one interesting resource is Mobility Compare’s mobility scooter price comparison guide which gives tips and advice on using and buying a mobility scooter.

All the leading specialists will be there with new products and you have the unique opportunity to test-drive many of them before purchase within the outdoor arena. This is the only event of its kind in the UK and will be opened by Sir Stirling Moss. Go along and maybe you can see whether you can beat Sir Stirling round the racetrack!

There will be a vast selection of new products on display, everything to help you with mobility and includes stands from specialist companies such as TGA, Portaramp and Q’Straint and Otto Bock to name a few.

TGA, the market leading scooter specialist from Suffolk will be launching the new funky Vita 3 which is a real eye-catcher. Its 4 wheel sister model has proved so popular for people who want a modern, stylish scooter that is really cool-looking, TGA knew they had to launch a more manoeuvrable 3 wheel version. Engineered with components from the automotive industry, the Vita 3 would look at home on Top Gear as it is so radically different – go and have a test drive but try not to wheel spin as much as Clarkson!

TGA’s Vita 3

Also on display from TGA will be the rest of its outstanding range that includes the latest Breeze 3 and 4 Midi’s, the enhanced Eclipse car boot scooter that can be personalised and the revolutionary, redesigned wheelchair powerpack.

Perfect for relieving the strain of pushing a wheelchair-using-friend or relative, the new Powerpack from TGA is even easier to drive, has better traction and is simple to fit to any wheelchair. Copied but never equalled, this latest generation model looks great and is fantastic for tackling grass, gravel and hills. Even Clive Burr the ex drummer from Iron Maiden has one and says it’s the best thing he has ever bought – how’s that for a unique endorsement!

For some added celebrity glamour, ‘Marilyn Monroe’ will be appearing on the TGA stand on the first day. Not only will there be a competition to win movie tickets, if it’s your birthday you may even be lucky enough to receive a rendition of her infamous song!

In addition to mobility scooter specialists such as TGA, there will be exhibitors demonstrating all the other latest products to keep you mobile. Portaramp for example will be launching two new ramps, which are high quality, extremely durable yet lightweight and give access to your home, work or vehicle if you use a wheelchair, scooter or powerchair.

Q’Straint is an international leader in wheelchair restraint systems for all types of transport and will be launching the new QLK-150 wheelchair docking system.  This enables less able individuals who can drive a car with the ability to safely secure themselves without the need to transfer into a standard vehicle seat – very impressive.

So all in all, everyone going to this event should have a great time. Just remember however much you enjoy your test drive, don’t drive off onto any dual carriageways as that guy did in Essex last week. Avoid an Asbo, enjoy the Expo instead!

Finally, for more information on mobility scooters, don’t forget to visit Mobility Compare’s mobility scooter price comparison guide.  Also, don’t forget to download Mobility Compare’s scooter buyer’s guide!

Thanks to Jon for the guest post…..

The problem?  People will carefully choose a walk-in bath yet not realise the plumbing needs to be up to scratch.  This is a particular problem in the UK where there are, at the last count, 500,000 old listed buildings.

Here’s the dilemma.  Walk-in baths, because they allow you to walk-in rather than step over the side, must be filled with the person already inside.  Now, if the taps and plumbing are old, you can look forward to either a scalding hot or icy cold few minutes as you adjust the incoming water temperature, followed by a long wait for the bath to fill. On a cold winter’s day it’s about as much fun as a poke in the eye.

That’s why mobility compare wrote a buyer’s guide for people thinking of getting a mobility walk-in bath.  Key advice? Make sure you check your plumbing is fit for purpose and you don’t install your walk-in bath in a Grade 3 listed building with 200 year old lead piping alongside a water pressure that would make a leaky tap appear like Niagara Falls.

With that out the way, and assuming that the plumbing is OK, I’m occasionally asked what walk-in bath I would recommend.  Well, there are many excellent manufacturers out there, but one of my picks is the Affinity from Bath-Knight. 

What I like about it is the locking mechanism on the door, as well as the levers and the taps. The door opens inward, forming a water tight seal when you close it. So, it is safe to assume that grandma won’t be flooding the bathroom floor when she decides to take a shower or falls asleep in the bath.

The two drainage lines on two sides of the bath make emptying easy, another key plus on a cold winter’s day when you want to get out of the bath as quickly as possible. Other features include the non-slip floor and additional grab rails – this is certainly one of the safest walk-in baths out there.

Yes, the Affinity walk-in bath is small and certainly not suitable if you want to feel like you’re sprawled across an Olympic-sized swimming pool.  But for smaller bathrooms and tighter spaces, it’s nigh on the perfect walk-in bath.

My favourite function is the Affinity walk-in bath’s unique, optional hydrotherapy spa which helps the body relax completely. It does cost quite a bit extra to have it included, so make sure you really need the feature before you ask for it.  But it’s worth the extra cost.  It feels like your body is being caressed by a gentle, loving mermaid.  And on that thought…..

It’s not just the upfront cost of the vehicle, however – some of the big costs come with maintenance, servicing and insurance. Servicing costs in particular can be quite daunting, especially as mobility scooters start to deteriorate after a few years.

Did you know, for instance, that fixing a simple puncture on the specially made wheels of a mobility scooter can cost more than £40? If you opt for an annual servicing plan, then the cost may be reduced somewhat, but you will still have to pay anything between £80 and £150. This may be even higher in some cases, depending on how many conditions are covered in the service plan.

For this reason, quite sensibly, many people consider renting a mobility scooter. This is certainly a viable option if the scooters were always perfect.

But they’re not!

Most are second hand scooters, which have been returned because of some kind of mechanical failure during the warranty period. The manufacturers often fix up these scooters and rent them out to people looking for mobility scooters. The result is sub-standard equipment and defective vehicles that have a higher chance of breaking down. Not only that, the chance of accidents is also quite high in these vehicles, due to the defective conditions from the outset.

This might be alarmist, and in some cases it is unwarranted – there are reputable manufacturers who ensure their scooters are always in Grade A condition – but suspicions remain that many rented vehicles are substandard, defective or re-conditioned in some way. Hardly ideal.

This is why Forbes Mobility has such a high industry reputation. Forbes takes care of the scooters for the entire rental period. They take the financial risk by offering you a warranty on the scooter, which covers a wide range of clauses including most kinds of servicing. The best part is that the company offers a 10 day home trial for free, so that you can try out the scooter and decide whether it would be the right one for you. If it isn’t, you can change it.

At Mobility Compare, the UK’s leading comparison website for mobility aids, I am in a unique position to hear industry gossip from a wide range of manufacturers and mobility specialists. Time after time I hear on the industry grapevine of other industry insiders who rate Forbes highly. What was the key word? Integrity.

Typical prices?  Take the Cadiz model above. You’d expect to pay approx £86.62 a month (VAT free price) over an eighteen month contract. That’s not bad. If you want to get in touch with Forbes Mobility click here or call 0800 834 115. You could do a lot worse…..and that’s the ‘insiders’ speaking.

Faced with debilitating illnesses, disability and mobility problems, these people are capable of doing more in a wheelchair or a hospital bed than most people can do with a fit and able body. It’s as though their spirit, faced with insurmountable challenges, rises up and seizes the challenge.  And then some.

Step forward Michael McGrath.

Michael suffers from muscular dystrophy, a debilitating disease affecting 75,000 people in the UK. In fact muscular dystrophy is the biggest genetic killer of children in the world – it robs sufferers of their mobility, their independence and finally for those with the most severe type, their lives.

Affectionately known as the Chief Muscle Warrior and wheelchair bound, Michael co-founded the Muscle Help Foundation which provides amazing experiences designed for children and young people suffering from muscular dystrophy – experiences that a child or young adult will remember for the rest of their lives. 

Something magical…..like that arranged for 12 year old petrol head and Ferrari enthusiast, Jordan Williams, who’s forever saying to his mother “Mum, you’re fired!”.

 Jordan with Michael…….

When I asked Michael why he set up the foundation, he simply said, “I want more people to hear about what this disease does, how it destroys lives and how those living with it can still fulfil their dreams.”

He added, “I want to empower, inspire and motivate others to engage with this cause – it takes 10 muscles to smile, 12 to frown but only one to make a difference, something we try hard to do through our Muscle Dreams programme.”

In 2002 Michael himself led an expedition to the North Pole, an achievement he repeated two years later at the South Pole.  And this is a man who at that time could only walk assisted; just 6 months ago, he lost his ability to walk entirely.  Unbelievable.

Michael at the Pole itself…

The Muscle Warriors 10k fundraising event at Haileybury went down a treat last weekend (June 5th).  Jodie Williams – the first girl to become World Youth Champion in both the 100 and 200 meter sprint – came along with her dad Richard in her capacity as an Ambassador for the Wells Sports Foundation.

Father and daughter came a very respectable 7th place in the Muscle Warriors Guinness World Record attempt in partnership with National Family Week’s Sport Day initiative.  Did they get the World Record?  You’ll have to visit the event website in the coming weeks to find out!  Click here.

To end this post, all I’d say is that Michael McGrath must be one of the most inspiring individuals I’ve come across in any walk of life……our very best wishes from the entire team at Mobility Compare.  If you’d like to help this charity deliver more Muscle Dreams, you can donate online by clicking here.

Still, I must share a little anecdote about a TV ad we shot for BMW way back when.  The ad agency, Covent Garden’s WCRS, wanted to show how a 50 pence piece could be kept upright on a BMW engine whilst the engine was running.  Up against our BMW 525i was a Saab and Audi. 

The problem, however, was that the Saab kept the little blighter upright with the 50p only tumbling at very high revs.  Solution?  The ad was shot at exactly 6,500rpm which allowed the BMW to be the only car which kept the 50p coin on its side.  At any other revs the Saab won hands down.  Which goes to show that there are lies, damned lies and car ads.

Moving swiftly on and with a lawyers letter freshly clutched in my hands, a few days ago the London Evening Standard ‘s Motoring section published highlights from a report by Which? Magazine.

The subject?  Motoring for the disabled.

I was delighted to see the Standard give over nearly a full page to this topic.  What pleased me even more was the fact that the sexy new Lamborghini Gallardo was only given a quarter page in the same section.  Hats off to the Standard’s motoring editor for getting his priorities right and writing about cars like the Vauxhall Meriva in preference to Italian supercars.

And, finally, to get to my point.  What car did Which? Magazine select as ‘the best car for those with wheelchair passengers?’  Step up…..the Skoda Roomster.  The car was praised for its tall body (that gives good access to the front and rear seats) and for its generous carrying capacity.  Factor in that it is ‘gleefully different from the crowd’ and you’ve got a superb vehicle for carrying wheelchair passengers. 

Skoda Roomster – better than a Lamborghini Gallardo

Congratulations are in order for Skoda.  Yet another German owned car brand which knows how to make practical and value for money cars.

Perhaps its now time for the team at Mobility Compare to have a section on best cars for the mobility impaired?