Wheelchair Alliance

09/04/2026

If you are a wheelchair user, or interested in accessibility and mobility aids, please see below regarding the launch of a new wheelchair user peer-support meeting, Our Place, which is managed by Action on Disability

For more information, contact: ourplace@aod.org.uk

At Our Place, we are launching an inclusive group open to all wheelchair users, as well as anyone interested in accessibility and mobility aids.
This peer-support group is a space to:
• Socialise with others
• Share experiences
• Work together on issues that affect us
✨ Come join our first meeting – your chance to help shape the future of the group!
Date: 15th April
Time: 11am – 1pm
Location: Our Place / Normand Croft School, Lillie Road, SW6 7SR. There is also the option to join online.
Contact: ourplace@aod.org.uk

09/04/2026

A big welcome goes to The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland – one of our newest partners.

Alliance Scotland is a national third sector membership organisation for the health and social care sector, bringing together over 3,500 people, organisations and lived experience to shape health and social care services in Scotland.

Its core aims are to empower people with lived experience, champion the third sector and support positive change.

Going forward, we look forward to working together.

08/04/2026

Here at the Wheelchair Alliance, we are pleased to announce British Association of Prosthetics & Orthotics - BAPO as one of our newest partners.

Formerly known as the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists, BAPO is a member-led organisation that represents the prosthetic and orthotic workforce across the United Kingdom.

Its vision is for prosthetics and orthotics to be a progressive, sustainable, and highly visible profession dedicated to improving mobility, independence, and quality of life across the population.

Going forward, we look forward to working together collaboratively.

01/04/2026

A big, warm, welcome goes to Action on Disability who has recently signed up to be a partner of the Wheelchair Alliance.

They are a Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation (DDPO) proudly led by disabled people, supporting over 4,500 deaf and disabled people across West London every year.

Action on Disability is aligned with the goals of the Alliance in working to remove barriers, challenge discrimination and campaign for change.

We look forward to collaborating to ensure equal rights, independence, and real choice for all.

31/03/2026

Yesterday, our Chair Karen Pearce was also invited on to BBC Radio Oxford and Berkshire to talk about the current Government consultation and why the Alliance feels that the guidance on powered wheelchairs needs to change.

You can listen here. The interview features at around two hours and 49 minutes: https://bbc.in/4bN0h36

Ensure your voice is heard by completing the Government consultation here: https://lnkd.in/eXYvn32P

The very latest local news and stories with all the music you love with Bridgitte.

31/03/2026

The conversation around the current Government consultation on ‘Reviewing the law for powered mobility devices’ continues to grow apace.

Following the article published in The Times, yesterday our Chair Karen Pearce was interviewed by Nick Ferrari on LBC Radio.

Although it’s great that the conversation around the current laws on where powered wheelchairs, along with other mobility aids, can be used is growing, following the interview we are keen to clarify our position on what needs to change to ensure that all wheelchair users are treated fairly and equitably.

The Alliance doesn't advocate for mobility scooters, just wheelchair users but we believe that any law change must be equal amongst all forms of mobility aids.

Nick Ferrari focused on the possibility of a change in law to allow wheelchair users to travel at speeds of up to 20mph on roads and cycle paths. That is not what the Wheelchair Alliance is advocating for.

The limit should be increased and match other forms of micromobility, with an understanding that pedestrian speeds are maintained in pedestrian spaces.

Indeed, we ask that the classification system in the UK is simplified by bringing weight limits in line with other EU Countries, to ensure that those with complex needs aren't criminalised for using the only equipment that enables their independence.

We are not calling for powered wheelchair users to be whizzing past buses on the road or in pedestrianised areas!

Currently, individuals using ‘Not in a Class’ wheelchairs and those with power add-ons are placed in an impossible legal position. They are breaking the law if they use their wheelchair on the pavement or in public spaces, and also if they use it on the road without a driving licence. As a result, some people’s only legal place of use for their prescribed wheelchair is within their own home.

As a minimum, the Alliance asks that ‘Not in a Class’ powered wheelchairs and power add-ons are treated distinctly in law from other forms of transport. A prescribed mobility aid should be recognised in legislation as essential equipment, NOT as a discretionary mode of transport.

We believe that all powered wheelchairs should also be brought within the Class 3 category, rather than continuing to be treated as motor vehicles.

We have worked closely with Simon Lightwood, MP and Under Secretary of State for Transport for over a year regarding current, outdated legislation, and we are pleased that our campaigning has led to the launch of the consultation.

Ensure your voice is heard by completing the Government consultation here: https://bit.ly/4bJdH1A

You can listen to the LBC interview with our Chair, Karen Pearce, here. It starts around 2 hours and 36 minutes in: https://bit.ly/47yBbUF

Listen to Nick Ferrari for free on Global Player.

31/03/2026

Last week Karen Pearce, the Wheelchair Alliance’s Chair, was asked to contribute our thoughts to The Times regarding the questions raised within the current Government consultation, ‘Reviewing the law for powered mobility devices’.

Specifically, we were asked our views around the current speed and weight limits of powered wheelchairs, alongside being asked to contribute our views on what we believed should be the minimum age for users of mobility devices.

Our patron, Nick Wilson Disabled Adventurer, was also interviewed, sharing his personal experience of being forced to use his powered wheelchair on the roads due to current outdated legislation which dictates he can’t use it on the pavement.

If you are a wheelchair user, carer or provider, please ensure you complete the consultation before it closes on Wednesday 22nd April.

Have your voice heard and complete the consultation here: https://lnkd.in/eXYvn32P

You can read The Times story here (story hidden behind a paywall): https://bit.ly/3Q9jncA

30/03/2026

The Wheelchair Alliance would like to give a warm welcome to Go Kids Go who has recently signed up to be a partner.

Go Kids Go! is a provider of free wheelchair skills training for children in the UK, helping to enable independence while ensuring that they are able to reach their full potential.

The charity also runs disability/wheelchair awareness workshops in mainstream schools for pupils and staff.

We look forward to working together in our mission to ensure that every wheelchair user has the right chair, at the right time, right now.

27/03/2026

We are pleased to introduce one of our newest partners, Myotubular Trust.

Myotubular Trust is dedicated to advancing the study of, and research into, treatments and cures for the muscle weakness caused by Myotubular Myopathy.

Myotubular and Centronuclear Myopathy can result in significant, often life threatening muscle and breathing challenges for both infants and adults. Since 2006, the Trust has invested in pioneering global research while empowering patients and families with the latest best practice and shared experiences to support informed conversations with their medical teams.

We look forward to collaborating closely in partnership.

25/03/2026

📢 4 weeks to go! 📢

Don't miss the chance to have your voice heard on modernising outdated laws on powered mobility devices, including electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Current legislation dates back nearly 40 years and doesn't reflect the technological advances that have transformed these essential devices.

Throughout the consultation, wheelchair users, accessibility organisations, industry, and the public are being invited to share their views on a variety of areas critical for updating these laws.

The government consultation closes on Wednesday 22nd April 2026.

Click the below link to make sure your voice is heard 👇
https://bit.ly/4rhsi8V

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24/03/2026

The Wheelchair Alliance is proud to announce Variety the Children's Charity of Great Britain, as one of our newest partners.

Variety helps children and young people overcome the barriers of disability and disadvantage to reach their full potential. It does this by funding and delivering life-changing programmes that give disabled and disadvantaged children and young people across the UK a better future.

We look forward to working together to make real, positive change.

23/03/2026

Naidex takes place this week and Phil H***e and Lizzie Hawkins from the Wheelchair Alliance are looking forward to attending on Wednesday 25th March.

Naidex is an important event in the disability community calendar, with cutting-edge accessibility solutions and innovations on display and important conversations taking place.

If you would like to find out more about the work being done by the Alliance, seek them both out and have a chat!

To find out more about Naidex and register to attend for free, visit www.naidex.co.uk