Overview

When my mobility started decreasing, my world became much smaller and many of the things I used to love doing seemed out of reach. Going for a walk, to a museum or even just the shop was exhausting and painful and simply too much walking for me. Getting a powerchair made such a difference. It gave me back independence and the freedom to explore and enjoy my surroundings again. I did a lot of research before deciding on what to buy, as anyone who has considered getting a powered mobility device will know that they are a big investment. In my case, the Freedom Pro ST from Etech Mobility seemed like the best choice in terms of sturdiness and power balanced with a price tag that my savings could bear. I bought my chair online, as the only physical presence of the company was in Birmingham at the time. When I was visiting family in England earlier this year and passing through Birmingham, I took the chance to drop in for a servicing of the chair. I had made good experiences with their customer service via email before and the in-person encounter was no different. It was uncomplicated and efficient and everyone I spoke to was lovely. Image my delight then when I heard that they had just opened up a showroom in my neighbourhood in Glasgow! I have visited the Glasgow shop a few times now, first out of sheer curiosity, but then also for some help getting my chair serviced and together with a friend who was looking into buying a powerchair for herself. I had a lovely time every time and am happier than ever with my chair. When I was visiting with my friend for her to try out some of the chairs, we spent over an hour trying and comparing the different models, both in the showroom and outside on different surfaces and there was no rush or pressure to make a decision. She could ask questions and make notes and take photos and videos to take away and consider what would be the best choice for her.

Transport & Parking

There is plenty of parking in the yard right outside the building. There is no designated disabled parking, but I never found it to be busy enough for that to be an issue. Cessnock subway (which has stairs and no lift) and the Percy Street bus stop on Paisley Road West (9, 9A, 10, 38, 38A, 90, 153, 189) are a 5-minute/0.2 mile walk away. Not all the streets in the area have dropped curbs -- I would avoid Elizabeth Street for that reason.

Access

There is a wide gate to access the parking lot and building from the street and the sidewalk. There are occasional uneven bits, but otherwise the parking lot is the rough kind of tarmac with no obstacles or breaks. The door to the showroom is at the near side of the building, to the right as you enter through the gate. There is a large white sign above the door with the number 74 in black. The door opens to the outside right and is not automatic, but it is often propped open and there is a bell you can ring for assistance. You enter into a small hallway, with the office behind a glass wall in front of you and the showroom around to your left through standard-size doorways. It can be a bit of a challenge to navigate if you have a large chair or are quite new to using it, but everyone is very understanding about accidentally dinging the wall or the door, as it is quite a common occurrence, especially when people (including the staff) are trying out a new powerchair or mobility scooter. The flooring is low carpet in the hallway and laminate in the showroom. The showroom is a nice bright open space with two sofas in one corner and many different models of chairs and scooters around the sides. Sometimes the radio is playing, but I would encourage you to ask to turn it down or off if it is bothering you, as I am sure the staff will be happy to do that. As far as I know, there are no alternative communication formats offered at the moment.

Toilets

There is a medium-sized accessible bathroom off the showroom. The door opens to the outside right with a lever handle. No key is needed to access the bathroom. There is no door opener. There is a handrail on the back of the door and it locks with a wide twist lever. There is a horizontal handrail to the left of the toilet that can be lifted and moved out of the way and a fixed horizontal handrail on the wall to the right of the toilet. The flush is a lever. The toilet paper holder is to the right of the toilet. There is space for a right-side transfer. There is no red cord. There is a vertical handrail on the right of the sink. The sink is a small wall-mounted sink and the tap has a short lever. There is a liquid soap dispenser on the sink and a mirror above the sink. There are paper towels on top of the cistern behind the toilet. There is a bin to the right of the toilet that opens with a foot pedal.

Staff

Given the previous positive interaction I had with the staff at Etech online and in Birmingham, I had no trepidation that first time about going over just to say hi and I felt incredibly welcome. Rahim and Jethro genuinely care about people and getting them the mobility aid that suits them rather than just making a sale. They were very interested to hear about my experiences and insights as a disabled person and keen to be the most helpful and considerate they could be. When my friend was a bit anxious about using a new chair for the first time, they were happy to demonstrate and try out certain manoeuvres themselves first, so she could see what it was like and they could point out what to watch out for.

Photos