E-scooter riders enjoying the city
With the citizens of Paris voting to ban the rented micro-mobility devices from the city streets earlier this month, e-scooters have not had a great press lately.
When identifying aspects of the anarchic and irresponsible use of e-scooters, one element road safety campaigners consistently point to is the particular threats posed to vulnerable pedestrians such as those with sight loss or at an increased risk of falling due to mobility issues.
Indeed, in recent years, charities representing the visually impaired such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People and Thomas Pocklington Trust have been active in campaigning for a significant tightening of the legislation around ongoing trials of e-scooters across U.K. cities. There has been a particular focus on the hazards posed by abandoned devices that have been improperly docked and carelessly strewn on urban streets as well as illegal sidewalk riding at dangerous speeds.
However, the latest survey data from major e-scooter rental outfit Neuron Mobility, which has operations in Canada and the United Kingdom, and is the market leader in Australia and New Zealand, reveals some surprising insights.
Principally, 5% of Neuron’s riders around the world have disclosed to the company through regular customer feedback survey data that they have a disability themselves.
Hidden disabilities
Taken from survey responses collected between July and November 2022 canvassing almost 7,000 riders from around the world – these results provide useful insights into the rapidly evolving micro-mobility arena and shine more of a light on disabilities that are commonly hidden from view.
As one might imagine, the typical disabled e-scooter rider tends to be at the milder end of the mobility-impaired spectrum and is more likely to have a medical condition that causes fatigue, pain and discomfort when tackling longer walking distances as opposed to more profound and immediately visible gait abnormalities.
Some of the conditions referred to in the research include hip dysplasia, scoliosis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and asthma as well as temporary injuries.
Interestingly, one survey respondent with autism spectrum disorder reported his use of e-scooters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the U.K. as a viable alternative to public transit due to the latter having the potential to cause him significant stress and anxiety.
For undertaking essential activities of daily life, e-scooter riders with disabilities demonstrated a greater reliance on the devices than their non-disabled counterparts. These activities included running errands (48% vs 29%), going to appointments 32% vs 19%) and connecting to public transport (32% vs 27%).
Zoe Laidler, a Ph.D. student at Newcastle University, experiences chronic fatigue as a consequence of spinal problems and scoliosis and has said that e-scooters allow her to be more independent and travel further afield around the city.
“I feel more independent and empowered as I can travel further and more frequently to get to work and university. I can also shop more from further away as well as carry additional bags and heavier weight without worrying about the strain it puts on my body. Without e-scooters, I’d either be traveling by car or reducing how much I get out and about, so the arrival of Neuron’s e-scooters has been very positive for me,” explained Zoe.
Meanwhile, Thalia Salt (18) a recent high school graduate from Macedon Ranges in the Australian state of Victoria said e-scooter rentals are a wonderfully accessible tool for assisting them manage the effects of fibromyalgia and a hip replacement surgery they underwent 5 years ago.
Addressing renting an e-scooter when venturing into Melbourne they said, “The e-scooters allow me to travel further for longer, without experiencing pain or exhaustion. Ultimately, this makes me feel confident and safe when visiting and moving around the city.”
Later adding, “Paying for an Uber every time I need to move short distances is not really an option, it can be quite costly. I find the e-scooters more flexible than other transport options. Usually, I can go directly from point A to point B and cut out most of the movement in between.”
Scooting aroundd the city
Motion without stigma
Commenting on Neuron’s latest data, Connor Quinn U.K. General Manager at Neuron Mobility said in a media statement: “All too often e-scooters are described in a negative way when it comes to people with disabilities, so it is great the research shows e-scooters are playing a valuable role in providing accessible and convenient transportation options for a diverse range of individuals, including those with disabilities or mobility impairments.”
In light of the new insights on riders with mobility challenges, Neuron plans to hold several focus groups with its disabled customers to better understand their needs and provide feedback to its Disability Advisory Board whose members include the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Though clearly, in the absence of models that can be adapted and attached to wheelchairs such as the OmniTrotter and Invacare Alber E-Pilot, regular free-floating urban e-scooter rentals won’t be an option for everybody with mobility impairments.
Yet, in many ways, younger users and those with invisible conditions at the milder end of the spectrum form part of the group with the greatest need because they have fewer tools at their disposal.
Their options would normally narrow towards soldiering on on-foot through pain and discomfort or using a regular wheelchair, mobility scooter or crutches which represents overkill for their particular needs and sadly, in 2023, continues to be associated with a certain level of stigma.
Moreover, as part of the general trend towards more sustainable urban transport solutions, particularly concerning micro-mobility, a genuine opportunity exists to destigmatize and strip away that medicalized lens from wheeled mobility aids through the principles of universal design and shared usage.
Wheelchair users and mobility scooters alike would appreciate a society where they can just wheel along in public and get on with their lives without being met by stares of incredulity and pity from passers by.
Whether they are being rented by disabled or non-disabled riders, e-scooters are one of those devices that continue to reshape the urban landscape and perhaps with it, albeit slowly, hearts and minds as well.
