Vital research that will identify how wheelchair services across England can be improved has been boosted thanks to a grant from The Motability Foundation.
Each year, The Motability Foundation awards grants to charities and other organisations to allow them to develop and expand on existing research which develops transport accessibility solutions.
Research into the quality of wheelchair services
The Wheelchair Alliance, which was launched in 2015 to champion the needs of wheelchair users, has been awarded a grant to enable it to look more closely at how barriers to accessing wheelchairs can be overcome and the measures that are needed to improve services.
Working in collaboration with Frontier Economics and Revealing Reality, The Wheelchair Alliance will publish its third report, which will provide solutions to the issues raised in its 2022 findings – An Economic Assessment of Wheel Provision in England and its latest report The Value of a Wheelchair.
Nick Goldup, Chief Operating Officer at The Wheelchair Alliance said: “Across England, wheelchair users still face a postcode lottery when it comes to accessing the right wheelchair at the right time, something which must change.
“Working alongside wheelchair users this third report will provide the ‘how’ and the measures which are needed to improve access to wheelchair services and as a result, access to transport.
“We are delighted to have been awarded this latest grant and are grateful to The Motability Foundation for its continued support.”
Rachael Badger, Director of Performance and Innovation at The Motability Foundation said: “We are really excited to be funding the Wheelchair Alliance to carry out this important research into how barriers to accessing wheelchairs can be overcome, building on their two previous reports which we also supported. User research, led by organisations with a deep understanding of the issues and barriers, is a vital route to finding new solutions for accessible travel.”
What have your experience been with accessing wheelchair services? Let us know in the comments box, on social media or contact us to share your personal story.