Voi to Host First Micromobility Disability Summit
On International Day of People with Disabilities, 3 December 2021, we are delighted to announce our hosting the first ever Micromobility Disability Summit (MDS) in February 2022.
As part of our roadmap to inclusivity, we will be hosting the industry’s first Micromobility Disability Summit (MDS) in February 2022. The Micromobility Disability Summit will be a hybrid summit and, therefore, accessible to all. The physical location is still to be confirmed.
At Voi we believe that respecting the needs of all people is key to developing not only the micromobility sector but also gaining the trust of towns and cities where we operate. In particular, we must listen to and learn from people with physical disabilities, visually-impaired or blind people, deaf or hearing-impaired people and people with cognitive disabilities. MDS is an important step in giving everyone a VOIce.
Micromobility Disability Summit (MDS) 2022 – A Hybrid Event
Micromobility is a relatively new and fast-growing industry and, in order for it to grow in a positive way, and for us to create cities for living, we must respect and learn from everyone living there. We have an opportunity to learn a lot from the accessible and inclusive transport movement, which is why we are hosting our MDS immediately after the Global Disability Summit (GDS), which takes place 15 – 17 February 2022 in Oslo, Norway.
Engaging with the Global Disability Summit (GDS)
One of the aims of GDS includes adhering to the “principle of leaving no one behind” and this aligns with our vision for Voi. As we grow, we want to practise authentic community engagement on our journey, to promote and implement best practice when it comes to responsible usage, parking, regulation, product design and environmental impacts. By connecting with GDS delegates, we can learn, engage and also share our own experiences with leading organisations in the inclusivity arena.
Voi’s Micromobility for All Report and Open Inclusion
As our industry grows at speed, Voi has recognised the need to stop and take stock of those we are in danger of leaving behind; look at those who are not gaining access to the micromobility sector; and then listen to the experts’ views on why this is happening and how to remedy it. Because the answers are many and multi-layered, our starting point was to commission an in-depth Micromobility for All report in 2021, and now we are delighted to be inviting influential and important key speakers to the MDS.
During 2021, we have also been working with Open Inclusion to establish a pan-disability and age-inclusive approach into our operations, to make micromobility more convenient and safer for everyone. As part of this collaboration, we held five roundtable discussions, led by Open Inclusion, with representatives and experts from all impairment communities. These roundtables covered Solent, Cambridge & Peterborough, Ireland, Scotland plus a UK-wide roundtable. Further to both of these collaborations, we are delighted to take the next step on our roadmap in announcing the Micromobility Disability Summit in February 2022.
Love Language
At Voi, we do love language and understand the importance of communication when it comes to change. After all, we collaborate with 70 towns and cities in 11 countries where more than 300 languages are spoken. This is why we are jumping at the opportunity to bring Love Language to our international platform at MDS. As well as being an international sign language interpretation agency, they are also pioneers in creating a “reimagined notion of diversity as something that is invaluable and integral to a sense of local, national and global connectivity.” Providing BSL/English interpretation throughout the Summit, Love Language will also be active participants at the event as experts in Deaf community engagement, one of the pillars of inclusion that is key to us at Voi.
Speakers at the Micromobility Disability Summit (MDS) 2022
We are still to confirm our final list of international speakers at the Micromobility Disability Summit (MDS) 2022. However, we are already excited to have; author, DEI consultant and disability activist, Dr Amit Patel; CEO and founder of Open Inclusion, Christine Hemphill; and Head of Mobility at JAJA Architects, Robert Martin.
To keep up to date with speakers and MDS times, email: [email protected].
This article was originally published by Voi Technology.
