Yes Disability Resource Centre southern regional co-ordinator of the I.Lead programme Hannah Butson said the programme aimed to equip people living with a disability with the necessary skills and confidence to pass the national driving test.
The programme took into account the multiple ways individuals learned and understood information and used strategies to help mitigate challenges, she said.
This included kinaesthetic learning techniques, visual aids, personalised lessons and image association.
Model cars, road maps and other realistic models were also used to assist individuals in their confidence in road regulations and safety.
Jordan Cleaver said I.Drive had been a "game changer".
The 24-year-old said his driving instructor in the programme had been "incredible".
Though he was a "nervous wreck at first", he felt like he had been understood throughout the process of getting his learner licence and then his restricted licence.
Achieving 32 out of 35 on his learner licence theory test on his first attempt made him wonder why he had not done it sooner, Mr Cleaver said.
One of the more memorable lessons was when participants and their instructor stood by the road and judged drivers according to one or another road safety rule, often finding most drivers failed to follow the rules, he said.
Now part of the programme’s support team, he encouraged others living with a disability to join the programme.
Mrs Butson said disabled youth looking to get their licence faced multiple challenges from gaps in the standard system.
Cost was a huge barrier, there was a lack of disability awareness and the road code was not easy for everyone to understand.
There was no "easy-to-read version", she said.
The I.Drive programme aimed to help with that.
"We want more people to access this, so more people can access New Zealand as a whole."
Mrs Butson said the initiative, which had been offered in Dunedin for several years, had gone so well it was being expanded.
A workshop would be held in the city on April 11.
Details could be found at www.ilead.org.nz
People were welcome to participate or to just come and watch.
If people let the programme know their learning needs, it could adapt the services and assistance further, she said.
