Mandy Altoft (Be Able Travel) - Hove

“Without my hoist, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere alone as I would need assistance to get my chair in and out of the car. It truly is a lifeline and I’d certainly recommend either of the hoists I’ve used to my family and friends!”

Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy sufferer, Mandy Altoft (40) from Hove in East Sussex, says her Autochair hoist is "a lifeline to maintaining independence for as long as possible”.

"I heard about Autochair from my Motability specialist while ordering a new vehicle from the scheme. I have very weak muscles due to my Muscular Dystrophy, and my partner is also blind, so getting my wheelchair in and out of the car was proving to be increasingly difficult."

"An Autochair hoist was the perfect solution for me to maintain a level of independence, particularly for my commute to work."

"I previously had a 40kg 2-way mini hoist but I have recently had an 80kg 4-way midi version fitted. My first hoist was excellent for my manual wheelchair, very compact leaving plenty of space in the boot - it was easy to use and the controls were well laid out too. However, my new one is very impressive indeed, it can lift my scooter in and out the car without me taking it to pieces first. Now that I’m able to lift my mobility scooter into the car in one piece, I can take it out on trips myself and get to work safely even during bad weather – it doesn’t matter if I have to park far away from the building."

Mandy and her partner, Lorna Payne, created Be Able Travel, an accessibility review site, to help people with disabilities have the freedom and choice to enjoy holidays and days out without the fear of it being inaccessible.

"Using my Autochair hoist enables me to get to more places independently so I can write up to date reviews on Be Able Travel, allowing other people with accessibility needs to visit these places and know what to expect. We want to create a catalogue of reviews so the disabled can Be Able!"

"Without my hoist, I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere alone as I would need assistance to get my chair in and out of the car. It truly is a lifeline and I’d certainly recommend either of the hoists I’ve used to my family and friends!”