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Mobility, Independence, Inclusion.

Wheelchair Alliance Strategic Direction 2026-2029

 
Our vision:

Right chair, right time, right now 

Our Mission:

The Wheelchair Alliance is dedicated to improving the lives of wheelchair users by promoting access, innovation, and equity

  • Impact
  • Impact
  • Impact
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Our Goals:


1. To listen to and collaborate with wheelchair users about wheelchair provision

We will ensure the collective views of wheelchair users across the UK are heard and represented at the highest level, empowering them to lead independent lives. This will be achieved by making sure wheelchair users are listened to and given the opportunity to collaborate with the Alliance in all aspects of its work.

2. To champion national accountability for wheelchair provision through research, lobbying and campaigning  

Through our independent research we will push for national accountability from key stakeholders and the government, lobbying at the highest levels and campaigning, when required, hand in hand with the wheelchair users that we represent. Research evidence, with wheelchair user experience at its heart, will be used to hold relevant stakeholders to account and promote meaningful change in provision of wheelchairs and related services. 

3. To support innovation of equipment and services for the benefit of wheelchair users 

We will work to enhance the quality of life, independence, and wellbeing of wheelchair users. The Alliance aims to achieve this by encouraging forward thinking and collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure access to the most effective, user-centred, and innovative support possible for wheelchair users. 

Together these goals set the direction of our organisation, ensuring that all our work contributes to our single vision of all wheelchair users in the UK having the right chair, at the right time, right now

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Wheelchair Alliance Delivery Plan
2026-2029

To deliver the strategic aims, the Alliance will form dedicated working groups. Over the next three years our plan is to:

To listen to and collaborate with wheelchair users about wheelchair provision

  • Over the next three years we will focus on the following key priorities:

  • Widen our existing wheelchair user group into a truly nationwide ‘United Voice’ of wheelchair users, that represents all areas of the country, utilising this group on all the Wheelchair Alliances key strategic decisions
  • Grow the Wheelchair Alliance’s reach to represent the devolved nations of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales  
  • Grow our partnerships with the charity sector / disabled peoples organisations, with the aim of increasing the number of charities that the Alliance represents and - ultimately - the number of wheelchair users that we can engage with and represent
To champion national accountability for wheelchair provision through research, lobbying and campaigning  

Over the next three years we will focus on the following key priorities:

  • Turn the recommendations from our trilogy of independent reports in to action and ensuring meaningful change. Focusing on national accountability at government level, better data provided through wheelchair service providers, nationally mandated guidance, and improved commissioning
  • Use our ‘All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Wheelchair Users’ to maximise our engagement with government, bringing the voice of wheelchair users and the sector to the highest levels of influence
  • Nurture and grow our engagement with government ministers, officials, wheelchair services, NHS England (whilst still in situ) / ministerial departments / Peers, and other senior figures
  • Focus on a campaign to change the law, updating outdated and hurtful legislation and removing barriers for powered wheelchair users
  • Work with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) or equivalent bodies, to ensure the NHS England Quality Framework and service specification is used pre and post NHSE being in situ, starting in pilot areas and demonstrating impact more widely
  • Help ensure all wheelchair users receive the same service through a consistently applied national eligibility criteria and a national specification

To support innovation of equipment and services for the benefit of wheelchair users 

Over the next three years we will focus on the following key priorities:

  • Grow the impact of our Special Interest Group on Innovation (SIG). Working with its members to challenge some of the key issues in the sector and understanding how these issues can be resolved
  • Create the ‘Wheelchair Alliance Academy’, aiming to improve training outcomes for health professionals and commissioners operating in the sector. We will also explore a national qualification for professionals and a community of practice through the Academy
  • Improve our website to ensure that the Alliance is the ‘go to’ website for the sector. Providing relevant and useful information to both wheelchair users and health professionals

To deliver against our ambitious goals, we will focus on building the organisations capability and ensure that the Wheelchair Alliance is equipped to operate in a way that delivers high impact to our members.

 

 

 

Wheelchair-Alliance-Governance

Over the next three years we will:

  • Grow our annual income to ensure we operate from a sustainable financial platform, aiming for 50% of our income to be unrestricted
  • Grow the membership of the Wheelchair Alliance to represent 5,000 direct wheelchair user members and 500k represented through our partnerships
  • Continue to strengthen our robust governance structures, reviewing our board members and ensuring we increase representation of wheelchair users and those with lived experience at the CIC board and the strategic advisory board
  • Grow awareness of our work through all forms of media, social media and via a growing number of patrons, communicating in such a way that is free from jargon and easy to understand
  • Carry out a review of our Community Interest Company status and consider an options appraisal transitioning to a charity

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