Motability Foundation

What if we all got together to share knowledge and experience and collaborate on ideas to make transport more accessible? In July we held a special convening event in London where five charities shared the results of research projects funded by our User Research Grants Pilot. The event also brought together organisations with a wide range of expertise and experience to discuss key issues in disability and transport. Attendees identified opportunities for improving journeys for disabled people across a range of transport modes, and how these could be addressed by sharing knowledge and insight and working collaboratively. We saw some great ideas for potential collaborations emerging during the day, so we’re excited to see what comes next! Read more: https://bit.ly/4daFXZ5 Visionary_UK Wheelchair Alliance Autistic Minds UK Bus Users UK Transport for All #Accessibility #AccessibleTransport #Disability #Transport #Innovation #Research

We're excited to add two more universities to our PhD Scholarships Programme! We have awarded PhD scholarship grants to Loughborough University and The Open University for doctoral candidates with lived experience of disability to undertake research into accessible transport. Research led by disabled people, with an understanding of the complex issues faced in travel, is key to finding accessible transport solutions. The announcement follows PhD scholarship grants being awarded to prospective candidates at UCL, University of Westminster and Newcastle University earlier this year, as well as those who are part of our pilot programme at Coventry University's National Transport Design Centre. Read more: https://bit.ly/3WLaeqD #Grants #PhD #AccessibleTransport #Research #Disability

Do you have a passion for developing IT infrastructure and with experience of managing and supporting teams? If yes, we would love to hear from you! We have an exciting opportunity within our IT Team to join us on an interim basis for 6 months to support the technical aspects of the team and ensure our technology systems are handled effectively. To find out more and to apply for the role, please visit our website: https://lnkd.in/ee2Wis53

Meet Danielle, she's one of our Customer Case Managers here at the Motability Foundation. For Disability Pride Month, she shares what it means to her: “Disability Pride is important to me as I have an autoimmune condition called lupus. It’s a mostly invisible condition and others will rarely notice that I have difficulties. "Disability Pride as a disabled person is about embracing those difficulties and not being afraid to use my crutches or my wheelchair if I need to because of what I think people may think. "For a non-disabled person it’s about changing mindsets, knowing that disability is not always the same for everyone every day and thinking about how we can make the world accessible for everyone.” Thank you, Danielle! We're proud to have you on our team 💜 #DisabilityPrideMonth #Disability #Accessibility

Alongside Motability Operations Ltd, we have responded to a public consultation which explores potential changes that could be made to the current Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system, including changes to assessments and how support is provided. Our research and innovation work shows how important it is to recognise the diversity within disability and how two people with the same condition may have completely different mobility requirements. We look forward to the Government’s response to the consultation, which should be published shortly. Please see our summary and full consultation response over on our website: https://bit.ly/3ShKiRO

Getting ready for the weekend? Looking for a holiday podcast? Catch up on the Lifestyle Pod with our hosts Sophie-Marie Odum and Samantha Renke PGCE! The whole of series two is now available to listen and watch in your preferred format 🎧 This series' guests include Phyllida Swift, Lisa Jones, Sophie Bradbury-Cox, Isaac Harvey MBE and Lucy Webster. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/eK7PKGzR #podcasts #disability #accessibility

🚆 Call for Participants: Rail Staff in the UK! 🚆 Are you a rail staff member in the UK who has experience of supporting travelers with mobility impairments? Your insights are invaluable to my PhD research, which aims to understand the barriers and facilitators to accessible rail travel. I'm looking for rail staff to share their experiences and perspectives in a confidential, 60-minute interview which can take place in-person or remotely (via phone or video call). Your contribution will help shape the future of accessible rail travel, ensuring that everyone can enjoy a seamless journey. If you're interested or know someone who might be, please reach out to me directly via LinkedIn message or email browns93@uni.coventry.ac.uk. #Accessibility #InclusiveTravel #RailTravel #MobilityImpairments #RailStaff #AccessibleTransport #UKRail #DisabilityInclusion #TransportEquality #BarrierFreeTravel National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat) Motability Foundation Paul Herriotts Arun Ulahannan (PhD)

"It's made me who I am today." Meet Aaron, a Motability Foundation grant recipient, who plays wheelchair basketball and rugby. This month, Aaron helps us celebrate #DisabilityPrideMonth. He reveals that, although he struggled with a disability at school, growing up, living with hereditary spastic paraplegia, has positively impacted who he is now. “The disability you had when you were younger, actually makes you bigger and a lot more confident when you’re older,” says Aaron, who now has two school-age children himself. We're proud to support disabled people like Aaron and thank him for sharing his story. Read more about his journey with us: https://bit.ly/466XixB

We're thrilled to have supported Get Cycling CIC with a £747,640 grant over three years towards their Pathways to Pedals project, which will make inclusive cycling more accessible for disabled people in Yorkshire. Get Cycling CIC will collaborate with other national cycling organisations to encourage disabled people to adopt inclusive cycling and raise awareness of how transformative and enjoyable it can be. Locally, it will help over 5,000 disabled people. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3S460IO #AccessibleTransport #Grants #ActiveTravel #Disability #Yorkshire

We're thrilled to announce that our communications team has been shortlisted for 'Communications Team of the Year' in the 2024 Third Sector Awards! In recent years, our organisational remit has expanded and transformed. We now carry out research, innovation and grant-giving to provide transport and make it accessible for all 16 million disabled people. So, last year, we launched a new look and feel here at the Motability Foundation to reflect this. Our communications team has grown, tested new approaches, and influenced to create and embed change. We couldn't be more proud to be shortlisted for this sector-leading award 🎉 https://bit.ly/3VZWW9d #ThirdSectorAwards2024 #TSAwards