Sergeant Dave Jones was working at RAF Boulmer when he was diagnosed with a rare degenerative condition called Cerebellar Ataxia, which was affecting his balance and speech. Dave, an Aerospace Systems Manager, had been in the RAF since 1983. While he was waiting for his medical discharge papers, he and wife Dee realised that their home was a hazard.
"Because my condition affects my balance, I fell down stairs many times, cracking my ribs and injuring myself in other ways," explained Dave. The house also wasn't designed to accommodate the wheelchair Dave might need in the future.
Dave contacted the RAF Benevolent Fund for help with adapting the family home. "They were amazing," he says. "They looked at my case, saw the house wasn't practically suited to adaptations, and so helped us move to a bungalow where they also adapted the bathroom to make it easily accessible for me."
For information about adaptations to your home, please see How we can help | Help with disability | Adaptations.
