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The European Mobility Debate
- Industry hears the voice of disabled motorists
Motor manufacturers have been challenged, along with Government, at European and national levels, to do more to recognise and meet the needs of the growing number of older and disabled motorists. The European Mobility Debate, organised by Motability in conjunction with the Forum of Mobility Centres, Department for Transport and Department for Work and Pensions was held in London last week and brought together speakers and delegates from the USA, Japan and across Europe to focus on demographics, design and disability. The major motor manufacturers joined with representatives of Government (at European and national levels), the specialist adaptation and conversion companies and with disabled people in a unique and ground breaking forum. Political speakers included Anne McGuire MP, Minister for Disabled People and Richard Howitt MEP President of the All Party Disability Intergroup of the European Parliament. Delegates heard that there are 50 million disabled people in Europe today. This number will increase with an ageing population because of the close correlation between age and disability (some two thirds of disabled people are over retirement age). This means that the next twenty years will see growth of more than 25% in the European population of disabled people. That population will have considerable purchasing power in the motoring and other consumer sectors. The views of disabled people were forcefully expressed by Sir Bert Massie CBE, former Chair of the Disability Rights Commission and Bas Treffers, Vice President of the European Disability Forum. Both spoke of the urgent need for vehicle manufacturers to address the demands of disabled and older people and highlighted that access into and out of a vehicle remained a major challenge for many disabled people and severely limited their choice as motorists. Bas Treffers called for a Europe wide commitment that "no disabled person should be denied the right to drive, solely on grounds of disability." They should, he stressed "be judged on the basis of their driving capability like everyone else." Bas also emphasised the need for a level playing field across Europe in standards for the approval of adapted vehicles and for the availability of independent objective assessment to enable disabled people to make informed choices. He highlighted the need for licence conditions not to restrict the vehicles disabled motorists were able to drive; for driving schools to have adapted cars available for tuition and for facilities at service stations to be improved. Other key challenges made at the Debate included a call for: Better understanding in the motor industry that older and disabled people represent a key and growing market segment whose needs must be taken on board at the earliest design stage ; Improved communication between the motor industry and the adaptation and conversion industries so that there is greater technical support in converting and adapting vehicles to meet disabled people's needs; The engagement of disability organisations at European level to raise the profile of these issues; Political support at national and European levels. Lord Sterling GCVO, CBE, Chairman of Motability, highlighted the need for political commitment to move this agenda forward and pledged the support of Motability in working to that end. He announced that a second European Mobility Debate will be staged in Autumn 2008 in Brussels to assess the progress that had been made and to identify the next priorities.
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