The Co-Driver allows handicapped people to drive automatic transmission vehicles.

The ability to drive a vehicle makes a significant contribution to the independence, dignity and self esteem to which people with disabilities aspire.

In 1981 the South African Bureau of Standards awarded their Design Institute's Design Award to Neville Cohen for his design, the Co-Driver. The Co-Driver is a conversion which enables handicapped people, who have lost the use of their legs, to drive an automatic transmission vehicle.

With the Co-Driver fitted to a vehicle, using one hand only for brake and accelerator operation, a disabled person has the other hand free for steering.

Neville was injured in a car accident at the age of 19 and has been in a wheelchair since then. In 1956 he drove through Africa to England in a hand controlled car, taking six months to complete the trip. Three years later he drove back to South Africa.

Neville was the technical director of a large public company for 30 years and has had close associations and leadership positions with at least 17 NGO's for people with disabilities. He instigated the change of name of Cripple Care to the present National Council for the Physically Disabled. A keen sportsman, Neville won Springbok colours in no less than four different sports and was the first South African to win a gold medal (for swimming) in the Paralymics in England in 1958.

Vesconite bushes are an integral part of the Co-Driver. Neville (who is a BSc engineer) says that the Vesconite bushes work well in his robust design. Vesconite bushes require no greasing and give a long life, without any maintenance. Neville is chairman of Chairman Industries, which manufactures and fits the Co-Driver hand control conversion kit.

Over 3 000 units have been made to date and orders come from across Africa.

Recently Neville received a request for a kit from Kenya after a car which had been fitted with a Co-Driver seven years previously, had been stolen. Within a day a new kit had been sent off to be fitted to the replacement vehicle.

Amost all the major car hire companies in South Africa, as well as two large driving schools, make use of the Co-Driver. The conversion kit has been tested by the Automobile Association and found to be safe and reliable. Neville is concerned about the quality of mobility devices used by disabled people and lectures on mobility, accessibility (particularly in the built environment), travel and legal issues affecting people with disabilities.

The Co-Driver is connected directly and securely to the car's pedals, with no cables involved. A single lever operates both accelerator and brake, making it user friendly and reasonably cost effective. The variable mechanical advantage and linkage assembly can be adapted to suit different motor vehicles, but does not hinder normal operation of the vehicle. There are 11 fitment centres thoughout South Africa with trained personnel to fit the Co-Driver, almost all within 300 km of potential users. In most cases, only one day is needed to fit the conversion kit to a car.

Vesconite bushes, being low friction, long life and self-lubricating, are ideal for many applications on equipment used by people with disabilities. VescoPlastics intends to make a meaningful community contribution, targeting people with disabilities. To manufacturers of equipment and aids for people with disabilities, VescoPlastics will supply Vesconite bearings at a discount of 50% of the normal commercial pricing. This discount applies to stock materials and custom components machined to drawing.

If you know any person involved in the manufacture or repair of products for people with disabilities, please tell them about this intiative. We will make our product available to manufacturers and repairers of wheelchairs, prostheses, lifts or chairs for baths, toilets, showers and pool hoists at half the normal cost to manufacturers.

We would like manufacturers of products for people with disabilities to consider using Vesconite bearings in their products.