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Special vehicle for handicapped children
Page 91
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• Special problems arise when transport has to be arranged for handicapped children, and these faced Chailey Heritage (Craft School and Hospital) when it decided some three years ago to have a coach built that would make travelling easier for the 300 children in its care.
After a meeting of all staff involved with the handling, escorting and conveyance of the children, a schedule of basic requirements of the coach was drawn up, and it was Reading and Co. Ltd., coachbuilders, Portsmouth, who was given the task of translating those ideas into reality.
It was decided to base the coach on the petrol-engined Ford R192 with power steering. Advice on this choice and matters of regulations was given by Mr. G. W. Stoner of Dinnages Garages Ltd., Haywards Heath.
Two special features built into the vehicle are the step entrance and the rear-mounted hydraulic lift. The swing-out step entrance is fully counterbalanced by two groups of multitensator springs which, giving constant torque, control the steps throughout the arc of movement; the mechanics of this were designed by Mr. N. Ring, research engineer at Chailey Heritage.
The Mid-Sussex Hospital Management Committee hopes to purchase a second vehicle of smaller carrying capacity as soon as finance permits.