Third Generation ‘See and Hear’ Unit Mobilised for SVAB

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A purpose built motorised specialist unit had its official inauguration at Shrewsbury Town Football Club on Friday 1st February 2010 and was officially opened by the Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire.

Torton Bodies has worked with the Shropshire Voluntary Association for the Blind (SVAB) since the mid 1990’s when they first bought a second hand exhibition trailer. By the late 1990s a motorised unit which incorporated disabled access, was designed and built following extensive fundraising from the charity. Ten years later and SVAB commissioned a brand new vehicle which was delivered in November 2009.

The ‘See & Hear Van’ travels throughout Telford and Wrekin, Shrewsbury and the market towns of Shropshire and allows anyone with either a visual and/or hearing impairment to receive free advice and information and to try out specialist equipment. The unit is equipped with state of the art IT facilities, specialist telephones and reading aids which is situated in three separate equipment zones.

It is estimated that since the first Torton unit was introduced in the mid 1990s that over 250 visits have been made with over 1000 people seeking advice.

The vehicle includes ramp access in addition to step access making it easier to enter the vehicle rather than the previous lift arrangement. The 4.7m body incorporates a walk through facility from the cab whose seats pivot round to become part of the information area maximising useable space. Independent power supply is sourced through a battery / inverter system so that lights and electronic equipment can be used without the noise of an on-board generator or land line facility.