Sustainable Mobility Equipment and Disability

Sustainable Mobility Equipment and Disability

Sustainable mobility equipment is an important component of inclusive and socially just mobility. For disabled people, mobility equipment is not simply a technological aid but can be essential for independence, participation and access to education, employment, healthcare and social life. Examples include manual and powered wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking frames, walking sticks, prosthetic devices, adapted bicycles and other assistive technologies. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines assistive technology broadly as products, systems and services that maintain or improve functioning and independence. Mobility products such as wheelchairs and walking aids are therefore directly connected to social inclusion and participation (WHO, 2024).

The social model of disability

The relationship between disability and mobility equipment can first be understood through the social model of disability. Traditional medical approaches tend to locate disability primarily within an individual’s impairment. The social model, associated particularly with the work of Oliver (1990), argues that disability is also produced by social and environmental barriers. A wheelchair user, for example, may have an impairment, but their exclusion from a building may be produced by stairs, narrow doorways or inaccessible transport rather than by the wheelchair itself.

This distinction is important when considering sustainable mobility. Providing a person with a wheelchair does not automatically create mobility if the surrounding environment remains inaccessible. Sustainable mobility therefore requires both appropriate equipment and accessible environments. This includes accessible pavements, public transport, buildings, charging facilities, pedestrian crossings and digital information systems.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) reinforces this principle. Article 9 requires states to promote equal access to the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, including in both urban and rural areas (United Nations, 2006).

Mobilities and mobility justice

The mobilities paradigm provides another useful theoretical framework. Sheller and Urry (2006) argue that movement should be placed at the centre of social analysis. Mobility is not simply travelling from one location to another; it is produced through relationships between people, technologies, infrastructures, institutions and places.

This perspective can be developed through Mimi Sheller’s concept of mobility justice. Sheller (2018) argues that mobility is shaped by unequal relations of power. Some people have greater resources and opportunities to move, while others experience restrictions, exclusion or forced immobility. Mobility justice therefore asks who is able to move, under what conditions, and who benefits from or bears the costs of mobility.

For disabled people, mobility injustice can occur when mobility equipment is unavailable, unaffordable, unsuitable or poorly maintained. It can also occur when public transport is technically accessible but inaccessible in practice because of broken lifts, lack of space, inaccessible information or negative attitudes. Consequently, sustainable mobility policy should not measure success only through reductions in carbon emissions or increases in transport efficiency. It should also consider whether mobility systems provide equitable access and independence.

Sustainable mobility equipment

Sustainability in mobility equipment has at least three interconnected dimensions: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability.

Environmental sustainability concerns the materials, manufacturing, energy use, maintenance and disposal of equipment. Economic sustainability concerns whether equipment is affordable and whether it can be maintained over its lifetime. Social sustainability concerns whether people can obtain equipment that meets their individual needs and enables meaningful participation in society.

A sustainable wheelchair, for example, should not simply have a low environmental impact. It should also be safe, durable, appropriate to the user’s body and environment, repairable and affordable. WHO wheelchair guidance emphasises that wheelchairs should meet individual needs and environmental conditions and should be safe, durable, affordable and maintainable (WHO, 2017).

This demonstrates an important principle: the most sustainable mobility equipment is not necessarily the equipment with the lowest environmental footprint at the point of manufacture, but equipment that provides long-term functional value while minimising waste and unnecessary replacement.

Circular economy and repair

The idea of a circular economy is particularly relevant to sustainable mobility equipment. Conventional production often follows a linear model of “take, make, use and dispose”. A circular approach instead seeks to extend product lifetimes through maintenance, repair, refurbishment, reuse and recycling.

This is increasingly recognised within assistive technology policy. In 2026, WHO/Europe published guidance specifically addressing the repair, refurbishment and recycling of assistive products. The guidance identifies these approaches as ways of extending product life, reducing waste, improving access and reducing procurement costs. It includes mobility products such as manual wheelchairs and walking aids.

For disabled people, repairability is particularly important because mobility equipment is often highly personalised. A wheelchair that has been correctly adjusted to an individual’s needs should not necessarily be replaced simply because a single component has failed. Repairing or replacing individual components can preserve the user’s independence while reducing material waste.

Refurbishment can also have social benefits. Equipment that is no longer required by one person may potentially be restored and safely provided to another user. However, this must be undertaken with appropriate assessment and hygiene standards because equipment must remain safe and suitable for the new user.

Examples of sustainable mobility equipment

Several types of equipment demonstrate the relationship between disability, mobility and sustainability.

Manual wheelchairs can provide efficient personal mobility without requiring a motor or charging infrastructure. Their sustainability can be improved through durable construction, replaceable components, local repair services and refurbishment.

Electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters can provide essential independence for people who cannot use manual mobility devices effectively. Although they require batteries and electricity, their social value can be substantial because they enable users to travel independently and participate in employment, education and community life. Their sustainability therefore depends on battery longevity, repairability, charging infrastructure and responsible end-of-life management.

Wheelchair power-assist systems provide another example. These systems can add electric assistance to manual wheelchairs, potentially combining some advantages of manual and powered mobility. They illustrate how sustainable design can focus on adapting and extending existing equipment rather than requiring an entirely new mobility system.

Adaptive bicycles and handcycles can provide accessible forms of active transportation and recreation. Where appropriate, they can contribute to low-carbon mobility while increasing independence and physical activity.

Walking aids, including walking frames and sticks, are relatively simple mobility technologies but can be essential for maintaining independence. Their sustainability can be improved through durable materials, replaceable components and appropriate maintenance.

Sustainable mobility equipment and the right to participation

Assistive technology should not be viewed solely as a medical intervention. WHO emphasises that appropriate assistive products can support participation in education, employment and community life. However, access remains highly unequal globally. WHO estimates that billions of people require assistive products, while access to appropriate products remains inadequate in many countries (WHO, 2024).

This creates an important connection between sustainability and social justice. A mobility system may be environmentally efficient but socially unsustainable if disabled people cannot access the equipment they require. Similarly, an expensive high-tech product may be environmentally advanced but provide little benefit if users cannot afford maintenance or replacement parts.

Sustainable mobility should therefore be evaluated according to a broader set of questions:

• Is the equipment accessible and affordable?
• Does it meet the individual user’s needs?
• Is it durable and repairable?
• Can spare parts be obtained?
• Can it be safely refurbished or reused?
• Does the surrounding transport infrastructure accommodate it?
• Does it reduce or avoid unnecessary environmental impacts?
• Does it increase independence and participation?

The Irish context

The issue is particularly relevant in Ireland. In 2026, the WHO and Government of Ireland published an Assistive Technology Capacity Assessment examining the country’s capacity to provide assistive technology. The assessment identified strengths including advocacy networks and innovative programmes but also highlighted challenges relating to coordination, funding, regional inequalities and continuity of services. It recommended a more unified national approach to assistive technology provision.

This is significant because sustainable mobility equipment cannot be considered separately from the systems through which it is provided. A wheelchair, for example, is only sustainable in practice if the user can obtain appropriate assessment, purchase or receive the equipment, obtain repairs, access replacement components and receive follow-up support.

The Irish example therefore demonstrates the relevance of the WHO 5P framework: people, policy, products, provision and personnel. Sustainability requires all five elements to function together rather than focusing solely on the physical product (WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2026).

Universal design and inclusive mobility

Another important theoretical concept is universal design. Rather than creating separate systems specifically for disabled people, universal design aims to make environments, products and services usable by as many people as possible.

For example, low-floor buses benefit wheelchair users but can also make public transport easier for older people, parents with pushchairs and passengers carrying luggage. Similarly, step-free railway stations benefit people with mobility impairments while improving accessibility for the wider population.

However, universal design should not be interpreted as meaning that specialised mobility equipment is unnecessary. Individual needs vary considerably, and some people require highly personalised equipment. The most effective approach therefore combines universal accessibility with personalised assistive technology.

Critical perspective: sustainability should not restrict mobility

A critical issue is the potential tension between environmental sustainability and disability rights. Policies designed to reduce car use, restrict parking or encourage active travel may have positive environmental effects but can create difficulties for disabled people who depend on private vehicles or powered mobility equipment.

Consequently, sustainable mobility policies should avoid assuming that everyone can walk, cycle or use conventional public transport. Instead, sustainability needs to be understood through the principle of inclusive mobility.

Recent research on transportation injustice similarly argues that disability and other social inequalities can intersect to produce unequal access to transportation. An intersectional approach is therefore necessary for developing transport systems that are both sustainable and equitable (Inclusive Mobility, 2025).

Conclusion

Sustainable mobility equipment occupies an important position between disability rights, environmental sustainability and mobility justice. Wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking aids, adaptive bicycles and other assistive technologies enable disabled people to participate in society, but their benefits depend on wider infrastructures and support systems.

The key argument is that sustainable mobility cannot be defined solely in environmental terms. A genuinely sustainable mobility system must also be socially inclusive, economically accessible and responsive to individual needs. Repair, refurbishment, reuse and recycling can reduce environmental impacts, while accessible transport, universal design and equitable provision can reduce social exclusion.

The concept of mobility justice strengthens this argument by demonstrating that mobility is shaped by power and inequality. For disabled people, sustainable mobility means not simply reducing emissions but ensuring the right to move, participate and live independently. As WHO’s recent work on repair, refurbishment and recycling demonstrates, the future of assistive technology can increasingly combine circular-economy principles with equitable access.

Ultimately, the goal should be to develop mobility systems in which environmental sustainability and disability inclusion reinforce rather than undermine each other.

References

Adey, P. (2010) Mobility. London: Routledge.

Cresswell, T. (2006) On the Move: Mobility in the Modern Western World. New York: Routledge.

Massey, D. (1994) Space, Place and Gender. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Oliver, M. (1990) The Politics of Disablement. London: Macmillan.

Sheller, M. (2018) Mobility Justice: The Politics of Movement in an Age of Extremes. London: Verso.

Sheller, M. and Urry, J. (2006) ‘The new mobilities paradigm’, Environment and Planning A, 38(2), pp. 207–226.

United Nations (2006) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. New York: United Nations.

Urry, J. (2007) Mobilities. Cambridge: Polity Press.

World Health Organization (2017) Guidelines on the Provision of Manual Wheelchairs in Less Resourced Settings. Geneva: World Health Organization.

World Health Organization (2024) Assistive Technology. Geneva: World Health Organization.

World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (2026a) Assistive Technology Capacity Assessment in Ireland. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.

World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (2026b) Repair, Recycle and Refurbishment of Assistive Products: For Self-care and Mobility Products. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.