Richard Bates

Richard Bates is an Approved Driving Instructor with a really kind, calm approach, specialising in helping learners with disabilities. He has over twenty years of experience as a qualified nurse, so he really understands physical disabilities, learning disabilities and hearing impairments. Richard adapts each lesson to what you need and teaches in a patient, relaxed way that helps you feel safe and confident. He teaches in a Toyota Corolla Automatic with lots of helpful adaptations. These include a hand-controlled accelerator and brake, left or right-foot pedal layouts, high tech steering controls and pedal extensions, so driving can be made accessible to you. Richard is also the author of 'The Highway Code Simplified', an Amazon Best Seller, and 'The Upside-Down Driving Instructor', which shows how he likes to make learning clearer and easier. He focuses on neurodivergent learners, hearing-impaired students using British Sign Language or Sign Supported English, and also offers refresher lessons for qualified drivers after illness or injury, all in a very supportive and inclusive way.