High Volume Transport

Vital transport research to ensure accessible, affordable and climate friendly transport for all.

The impact of COVID-19 on the mobility of people with disabilities

On 23 April 2020, the HVT Inclusive Access Network, convened by HVT, held a webinar on the impact of Covid-19 on the mobility of disabled and vulnerable people.

While everyone is affected by the global pandemic, older people and those with disabilities are often disproportionately affected by the impact of the current restrictions on their mobility, health and wellbeing as well as on their access to information in formats appropriate to them (e.g. sign language, lip reading).

Drawing on current experiences from colleagues around the world working in this field, the webinar brought together thoughts on key issues and useful initiatives in place, or planned, to address them.

The webinar’s distinguished speakers included disability specialist Ann Frye, Penny Innes from DFID’s Disability Inclusion Team, Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo from the World Bank, Mohammed Yousuf from the EquallyAble Foundation (USA), Amanda Gibberd from the South Africa Department of Transport, Subhash Chandra Vashishth from Svayam, a global initiative working towards dignity for people with reduced mobility, Amin Amir Andani from the Network Organisation Working with People with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP), and Janett Jimenez from Can Lah (Mexico).

The HVT Programme was pleased to present this first webinar featuring our Inclusive Access Network. The Inclusive Access Network originates from the panel members that participated in the Foresight Session on Disability Inclusive Road Transport held at the PIARC World Road Congress in October 2019. The session was organised by the HVT Programme on behalf of the UK Departments of Transport and International Development.

The session received the award for Best Session of the Congress, as voted for by the delegates. The Network members are all experts in the field of inclusive mobility and social inclusion and originate from a wide variety of organisations including multilateral agencies, academia and civil society and from countries ranging from China to Mexico.

Click here to access the webinar recording.

Click here to download the presentation.