The Motability Foundation is funding a major project led by Frontier Economics, in partnership with Wheelchair Alliance and Revealing Reality, aimed at developing an improved wheelchair service model in the UK.
Building on evidence from earlier research on wheelchair provision funded by the Motability Foundation, the project will explore how wheelchair services currently operate across different parts of the country.
The aim is to develop an evidence base that will inform future thinking, identify what a good provision service could look like, and share how it could be delivered successfully.
The project is being led by Indigo Ayling, Transport Solutions Manager at the Motability Foundation. Currently on a secondment from the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC), Indigo joined the Foundation in November 2025 and brings experience in inclusive research and extensive knowledge of removing barriers for disabled people in transport.
They are also Vice-Chair of Inclusion London, a Deaf and Disabled people’s organisation supporting Deaf and Disabled-led organisations across the city.
Interviewing Indigo
Ahead of International Wheelchair Day on Sunday 1 March, we caught up with Indigo to learn more about the project and how it aims to improve the experience of wheelchair users and people with mobility needs in the UK.
What the project is trying to achieve?
We’re aiming to develop a new service model for wheelchair provision in the UK that is co-designed with disabled people and key partners in the sector, such as the NHS.
Right now, too many disabled people don’t have access to the wheelchair they need. In some areas, NHS waiting times can be long, repairs can be delayed, and often the chair they get doesn’t fit their requirements.
This can lead to people experiencing reduced dignity and autonomy, as well as reduced access to education, employment, and participation in wider society.
What are the key gaps in how wheelchairs are currently provided in the UK?
The Motability Foundation commissioned and funded extensive research in this area, including an economic assessment (PDF 4.3 MB) of wheelchair provision, its value to society (PDF 4.1 MB), and the opportunities for change (PDF 1.8 MB).
From this, the insights are really clear: provision is a postcode lottery, it completely depends on where you live.
Another fundamental challenge is that many NHS services don’t consider wider needs when assessing eligibility.
Because of a historic lack of funding, the criteria are very strict and don’t consider your need to work, travel, or leave your house by yourself.
What drew you to work in accessible transport?
As a disabled person, transport inaccessibility is one of the most significant barriers that I experience day-to-day.
My wheelchair enables me to move about in the world, but because of wider social barriers, I also face daily challenges with cluttered street spaces, negative social attitudes and public transport that I can’t access.
I work in this area because I want to create change, and it is essential to have disabled people in this space as we research and create solutions together.
I believe in everyone having the choice to travel how and when we like.
At the Motability Foundation, we are striving to build transport equity and having access to appropriate personal mobility equipment is a crucial part of that.
How are your insights helping to shape the project?
As a wheelchair user, I have experienced the difficulties of getting a chair through the NHS.
They originally gave me a standard heavy manual chair, and I couldn’t push it myself outside my home, so I had to rely on others to help.
Like many others, I ultimately crowd-funded for a chair which was lightweight, well-fitting and easier to self-propel.
I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user, which for me means I also use walking sticks sometimes, and my needs fluctuate greatly day to day.
I don’t neatly fit into the assumptions of what a wheelchair user ‘should look like’ and as our research has found, people like me can fall through the cracks because of eligibility criteria.
Having the right equipment has made a significant difference to my health and autonomy, as well as allowing me to have the career I do.
To design a wheelchair service that works for everyone, it’s vital that lived experience shapes this project, alongside professional and technical expertise.
Wheelchair provision sits within a complex health and policy landscape. Why is it so important to get this right?
Wheelchair provision intersects with healthcare, social care, transport, employment and education, so it’s inherently complicated.
That’s why partnership is central to this work. We’re engaging with the NHS, government, wheelchair manufacturers and retailers, charities and disabled people themselves to co-design a service model that works across the system.
We are carrying out extensive interviews across the sector, alongside 12 in-depth focus groups with disabled people across the UK.
Understanding everyone’s challenges, constraints and priorities is essential if the outputs are going to be practical, fair and deliverable.
Reflecting on the significance of International Wheelchair Day, what conversations do you hope this project helps shift?
First and foremost: wheelchairs are freedom-giving machines!
Too often, language focuses on people being ‘wheelchair-bound’ or ‘confined’, when the reality is that wheelchairs enable people to live their lives, access the world and exercise autonomy.
International Wheelchair Day is a chance to celebrate that, and to remind decision-makers that the wheelchair is not the barrier. The system around it is.
The UK has an opportunity to show leadership in this space. There’s a global gap in how wheelchair provision is addressed, and we should be aiming to lead by example.
Why are you excited to work with the consortium on this project?
The consortium is made up of three fantastic organisations; Frontier Economics, Wheelchair Alliance and Revealing Reality.
We have a strong history of collaboration, as they were involved in earlier research that laid the groundwork for this project.
At a time of transformation across health and social care, the consortium’s experience in working across complex systems and engaging sensitively with stakeholders will be essential in ensuring the research can contribute constructively to wider discussions as they evolve.
It’s particularly exciting to me as very few organisations are working on this issue at a national scale, and it feels like we are at a moment where real change is possible.
How could someone get involved if they’re interested in this project?
Wheelchair users can join Wheelchair Alliance through their free membership scheme here.
Members may be invited to take part in focus groups and other research activities.
We are also keen to hear from professionals working in the NHS, government, charities, or the wheelchair and mobility sector, particularly those with an interest in service design and innovation.
You can get in touch at: innovation@motabilityfoundation.org.uk