Overcoming Misconceptions About Disabled Cyclists

Joelle Galatan, a self-described cyclist with a disability, writes of the importance of bikes to mobility for people with disabilities.

Galatan starts the opinion piece for Streetsblog USA by calling out two linked fallacies:

• 'Disabled people don't bike.'
• 'E-bikes aren't actually biking.'

In response, Galatan writes: "As a cycling activist with a disability, I see the conversation surrounding e-bikes as another side of a larger issue. Because disabled people are often left out of the conversation, few abled cyclists seem to consider how non-traditional bikes can add to mobility for disabled people and provide many with a healthy mode of exercise and transportation."

In fact, a survey by Wheels for Well-Being shows "two-thirds of cyclists with disabilities find cycling easier than walking," according to Galatan. Disabled people bike at almost the same rate as able-bodied people do.

The article includes a list of actions that can support the cause of building better infrastructure and providing the kinds of adaptive bicycles that can be a benefit to disabled people. Click through to the source article to read those recommendations in Galatan's own words.