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1            Overview: Current, restrictive mobility-aid legislation

1. Disabled people use a wide range of mobility-aids such as sticks, canes, prostheses, wheelchairs, rollators, mobility scooters, cycles, e-scooters and assistance dogs.
2. Some of these are recognized as mobility aids (i.e. “invalid carriages”) in legislation. Others are not. As a result, Disabled people may be prevented from using the most suitable mobility aid because it is not permitted where they need to go. Aids affected include cycles and power add-ons to wheelchairs.
3. Current legislation defines only three types of “invalid carriage” as mobility aids. This is outdated and restricts the mobility of Disabled people. The law needs to change to recognise all devices used as mobility aids now and new devices that will be created as technology develops, in order to ensure equal mobility for Disabled people.
4. New and future-proofed mobility developments are being recognised in proposed new legislation in the category for e-assist and low-speed zero-emission electric vehicles (LZEVs).
5. The law needs to simplify and update current laws in order to enable equity of access to diverse and developing mobility aids for Disabled people.

2            We ask that upcoming legislation:

1. Explicitly includes Disabled people (as defined in Equality Act 2010) as users of micromobility devices (LZEVs).
2. Ends the regulation of mobility aids as “invalid carriages”, and regulates all powered mobility scooters, powered wheelchairs and power-attachments for any mobility aid as LZEVs.
3. Considers acoustic vehicle alerts and maximum speed, power, and weight for all LZEVs.
4. Explicitly designates cycles and LZEVs (including e-cycles) as mobility aids when used by Disabled people to assist or replace walking/wheeling, and when used at walking speed in pedestrianised areas (including but not limited to: parks, pavements, shopping precincts, and station concourses).
5. Uses a self-certification scheme to identify LZEVs and cycles used as mobility aids by Disabled people, permitting their use at walking speed in pedestrianised spaces.
6. Allows all LZEVs, including those used as mobility aids, and “traditional” mobility aids such as mobility scooters, to use cycle lanes/cycle paths, re-named as “mobility lanes”.
7. Expands parking requirements in planning and area development legislation to include accessible, safe and secure cycle, LZEV and mobility-aid parking for Disabled people.
8. Bans vehicle pavement and cycle lane parking nationally. Restricts the default positioning for parking of LZEVs/hire cycles to marked bays/racks on the carriageway to ensure pavement access for Disabled people, with tightly defined exceptions.
9. Continues to recognise dangerous use of any mobility device or vehicle on pavements as a criminal offence, for non-Disabled and Disabled people alike.