Adaptive Driver Training

The following information was obtained from the website of the Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services (ADS), https://portal.ct.gov/AgingandDisability/Content-Pages/Programs/Driver-Training-Program

Driver Training Program (DTP) For Persons With Disabilities Adaptive driver training is instruction for people with disabilities to learn to drive using vehicles which have been modified to accommodate a disability. In Connecticut, the State Department of Aging and Disability Services (ADS), in cooperation with the State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) provides evaluation, instruction and licensing of people with disabilities who need special equipment to drive a car.

How To Apply To The DRS Program

If you are a new (first time) or a current Connecticut license holder who meets the below eligibility requirements and you wish to participate in the program, first contact the BRS Driver Training Program for Persons with Disabilities (DTP) at 1-800-537-2549 to have your name placed on the waiting list for training.
Then contact the DMV Driver Services Division at (860) 263-5723 to obtain the required medical clearance. You must provide information regarding your disability.
The DMV will send you medical forms which your doctor(s) must complete and return to the DMV on your behalf.
If your medical review application to the DMV Driver Services Division is determined favorable, your name goes on a list of eligible candidates for the DRS Driver Training Program.
When the first available opening occurs, a DTP Instructor will contact you by telephone to arrange an appointment with you.
A DTP Instructor will evaluate and assess your driving abilities, and the Instructor will work with you to determine the type of special adaptive equipment required to meet your needs.
The DTP Instructor will provide all aspects of skills training, including city, rural, secondary and limited-access highway driving.
After you have successfully demonstrated to the DTP Instructor that you possess the abilities to safely operate a motor vehicle and have complied with all requirements, you will be eligible for the DMV to issue you a limited (restricted) license.
A limited license may contain one or more of limitations (restrictions), which shall be noted on your license (see website for specific limitations).
If you are unable to demonstrate to the DTP Instructor sufficient skills to safely operate a motor vehicle, you may apply for a CT non-driver ID card.

Completion of the driver training program alone does not entitle you to operate a vehicle. Securing your operator’s license is the final step in this process towards enabling you to drive. Once your limited (restricted) license has been issued to you, you must drive only under the conditions identified on your restricted license. You should not operate a vehicle that does not comply with the limitations (restrictions) on your license.

COST

No fee for evaluation and instruction
Set fee for license

Who is Eligible?

Are a permanent Connecticut resident;
Have a physical disability which requires special equipment to operate a motor vehicle;
Received medical clearance from the DMV Driver Services Division
Have a valid license or, if you are a new driver, have a valid Learner’s Permit;
Complied with the DMV identification, residency, vision screening, knowledge testing and driver education requirements; and
Are able to independently transfer from your wheelchair (if you use one) to the driver’s seat of the DTP training vehicle. Or, we will provide the training in your own specially-equipped vehicle that has already been modified to accommodate your wheelchair. All vehicles used for training shall be properly registered, insured, and equipped with an instructor’s brake.

To Find Providers in Connecticut’s Community Resources Database:

Search by service name: Adaptive Driver Training

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SOURCE: Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services: Driver Training Program for Persons with Disabilities
PREPARED BY: 211/jm
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: July2024