Our mission
To promote the inclusion of people with reduced mobility through a good bike infrastructure as well as the rules making such a design effective and the mindset of others allowing the inclusion, using the Dutch as the role model.
Our vision
To live in a society where accessibility for anyone is a priority, giving people with physical disabilities equal opportunities to move in and around the city freely and independently.
Manifesto
The UN Convention on accessibility says (1): “Without being able to access the facilities and services found in the community, persons with disabilities will never be fully included.” Thus, mobility plays a major role in creating opportunities for such individuals. The integration of people with reduced mobility should be a basic right. Yet, practical integration might be lacking. What can we as a society do to improve the situation?
Making public transportation easily accessible
Providing disabled people with subsidized wheelchairs
Building a good bike infrastructure beneficial to other groups wanting to be mobile
Biking culture as a driver of accessibility
Our project originates in the Netherlands, the biking nation of the world. Most of you may have heard that you can find more bikes in Amsterdam than inhabitants. What are other benefits, apart from having less congested and polluted cities, of the biking nation? One thing you may notice, especially when exploring this country outside big cities, is the high number of people in (powered) wheelchairs in the streets of small towns. They are everywhere, simply taking advantage of the exceptional bike infrastructure, with enough space where everybody feels safe and welcome, going to work, doing groceries, or visiting friends. It is not only disabled people. Think of your grandmother when she has to go that long stretch to the supermarket and back. Think of those who may walk but only for dozens of meters before having to rest.
Cycling has been on the rise in the past years, with attempts to build more bike lanes, provide bike sharing, and limit cars in cities. The Netherlands has been improving its bike infrastructure since the 70s, moving away from the car-centric design of cities. The European Parliament has supported this effort with a new strategy to develop biking in Europe (2), intending to double the number of cyclists by 2030. The strategy also states the following: “…to ensure the accessibility of cycling to persons with reduced mobility…” As explained earlier, other groups will benefit from this incentive, too, and it should be part of the design. The good thing is that we do not need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, use the Netherlands as a role model.
Today, we take it for granted, but the transformation of Dutch cities in favour of biking did not happen over night. What made it possible? Decades of planning, building, experimenting, and creating rules.
Introduction to how the Dutch built their bike infrastructure
The role of the Wheel-minded project
This art project promotes the hidden benefit of providing the wheelchair community in The Netherlands with the basic right to movement. The (Dutch) design does not start with painting an extra lane next to busy roads. It begins with a long-term vision and planning, which we would like to see all counties consider when renovating the streets of cities, pavements, curbs, and roads. If the infrastructure does not meet the standards for safety and accessibility for all groups in mind, we will have to wait 20 or 30 years until the next rebuild. We want to live in a society where accessibility for anyone is a priority, giving people with physical disabilities equal opportunities to move in and around the city freely and independently. We are interested in the Dutch bike culture as the role model for creating possibilities for inclusion through a good bike infrastructure, the rules encouraging biking, and the right mindset of the citizens allowing the inclusion.
The aim of this art project is to:
Showcase the Dutch biking culture as a drive of accessibility and inclusion for people with reduced mobility.
Address the remaining challenges of the wheelchair community.
Create a channel for communication about these challenges by understanding both the perspective of the community and the authorities.
References:
UN Convention on Accessibility (https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disacc.htm)
European Cycling Strategy (https://www.ecf.com/news-and-events/news/european-parliament-calls-double-cycling-europe-2030)
Contact Us
Do you want to collaborate on an exhibition?
Would you like to participate in filming?
Write us a message.