'MAGIC' Car Benefits Hundreds Of Disabled Drivers In Bristol

Hundreds of disabled drivers will benefit from a vehicle that has been loaned to the Mobility Service of the Disabled Living Centre in Bristol, by MAGIC (Mobility and General Information Centre), Ford Motor Company's telephone information service for disabled and mature drivers.

The automatic Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec will be used to provide car assessments and tuition for disabled drivers. Since gaining full accreditation in 1995, The Mobility Service of the Disabled Living Centre has helped thousands of people in the West of England return to driving.

Occupational therapist Diana Wolsey said: "We are very grateful to MAGIC for their support. Without the Ford Focus it would not be possible for us to provide the same high level of service for people with disabilities in Bristol."

Since its launch in 1998 Ford Focus has recorded 430,000 sales in the UK, a massive 1.2 million across Europe. In the UK, Ford Focus has topped the sales charts for 36 consecutive months – its third anniversary as the UK’s favourite car. The Focus is available on the Ford Motability Scheme in three, four, five door and Estate models.

MAGIC was set up to provide free information on driving with a disability to all disabled people in the UK, regardless of what make of car they drive or want to drive.

Anyone can call its freephone service on 0800 240 241, but it is particularly useful for disabled motorists, their families, friends, carers and medical professionals. To date, over 281,000 people have contacted MAGIC requesting information about a wide range of topics including:

• The Motability Scheme
• Where to get current information on disability benefit entitlements
• Mobility assessment centres
• Charities
• Vehicle adaptation companies
• Ford dealers
• Specialist holiday companies
• Ford vehicles and comparative data on other manufacturers' models