Wheelchair Alliance

03/09/2026

Are you a commissioner or provider of wheelchairs?

If yes, have you visited our online Academy?

It’s an online hub designed to bring together trusted information, practical tools and expert resources for wheelchair users, commissioners and providers.

Believed to be the first of its kind, it brings valuable resources into one online space.

We’ve recently added new resources and opportunities across several Academy pages, including the below for commissioners and providers.

→ Key Skills for Wheelchair Provision book
→ Guidance on Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services
→ The POD-NMD Postural Management, Seating and Wheelchairs Course

Find out more, by clicking the link: https://bit.ly/4i8znYq

02/09/2026

One week to go!

Naidex Roadshow South 2026 takes place on Wednesday 9th September at Farnborough International.

Our Chair Karen Pearce will be there speaking on the panel, ‘Making Support Accessible: Navigating Equipment and Financial Support’.

The panel will explore the often overlooked period between recognising a need for support, receiving formal assistance and disability-related benefits, and what organisations should be doing to support daily life.

The discussion also aims to highlight opportunities for earlier intervention, greater collaboration across services, and more equitable access to the equipment and resources that enable disabled people to live independently and participate fully in everyday life.

The session takes place 3:00pm - 3:45pm on the Main Stage.

Our patron Disabled Adventurer Nick Wilson will also be sharing the inspiring story behind 50at50, an ambitious challenge designed to break down barriers and redefine what is possible for disabled people and wounded veterans in the outdoors.

Drawing on his own experiences, Nick will discuss the physical and mental challenges he has faced, the lessons learned along the way, and the power of resilience, determination, and community.

Nick’s session takes place on the Main Stage from 3:55pm - 4:25pm.

For more information on the full Roadshow Agenda, click the link: https://bit.ly/4zO7N9n

01/09/2026

This September is and the Wheelchair Alliance is proud to support our partner Muscular Dystrophy UK in its mission to shine a spotlight on neuromuscular conditions.

Over 110,000 people in the UK are living with one of over more than 60 muscle wasting conditions – progressive conditions which worsen over time and, in some cases, cut lives short.

So we’re supporting Muscular Dystrophy UK’s vision of a world without limits for people living with a muscle wasting condition – a world where conditions are treated early and everyone gets the support they need.

To find out more visit www.musculardystrophyuk.org

27/08/2026

The RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF) has today announced Evan Davies BM FRCS Ed as its new Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Davies became an IPF Trustee in 2017 and contributes a wealth of knowledge to the Foundation as a Consultant Spinal Surgeon at University Hospital Southampton. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer for the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton.

Davies succeeds Stephen Duckworth OBE who became the first IPF member (beneficiary) to serve as Chair of the Board when appointed in 2024.

You can read more about Evan's appointment at https://bit.ly/4xnXoPQ

A video with IPF Chair Evan Davies is also available to watch at https://bit.ly/4gwKQ2Z

Introducing Evan Davies - the new Chair of the RFU Injured Players ...

21/08/2026

Have you visited the Wheelchair Alliance Academy?

Earlier this year we launched the Academy – an online hub designed to bring together trusted information, practical tools and expert resources for wheelchair users, commissioners and providers.

Believed to be the first of its kind, it brings valuable resources into one online space.

We’ve recently added new resources and opportunities across several Academy pages, including:

Wheelchair Skills
Here you will find wheelchair skills session dates and locations, alongside a new-look in-person courses section for children and young adults.

Click here to visit the Wheelchair Skills section: https://bit.ly/45ArV0R

Wheelchair Sports
We have introduced an events section. Here you can find details about the latest wheelchair sporting events!

Click here to visit the Wheelchair Sports page of the Academy: https://bit.ly/4xMVnfY

To ensure the content remains relevant, practical and responsive to people’s needs, the Academy will be regularly updated with new resources.

You can access the Academy by clicking the following link: https://bit.ly/4gJvwjl

20/08/2026

Are you interested in trying wheelchair tennis?

Kent Tennis and Essex Tennis are hosting the Joint Wheelchair County Championships, a competitive wheelchair tennis event bringing together players from across the region, on Sunday 27th September.

Alongside the championships, they are also running a free Wheelchair Tennis Come and Try session from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, just before the championships start in Tonbridge Wells.

The free wheelchair tennis session is designed for anyone interested in wheelchair tennis, including complete beginners.

Attendees will be able to:
• Watch competitive wheelchair tennis matches
• Meet Matt Knoesen, Junior French Open Champion
• Try wheelchair tennis in a friendly and supportive environment

Scan the QR code on the image to register and find out more.

* Please note: The Wheelchair Alliance is sharing this notice for awareness only. This event is not run by or affiliated with our organisation. All enquiries must be sent directly to the event organiser. *

18/08/2026

We are pleased to introduce Shine - Spina bifida • Hydrocephalus • Information • Networking • Equality as one of our newest partners.

Shine is a registered charity that provides specialist support from birth and throughout the life of anyone living with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

With a community of 15,500 individuals, families, friends, and professionals, sharing achievements, challenges and information, Shine’s vision is to create a society that meets the needs, values the contribution and celebrates the lives of people living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

We look forward to collaborating closely in partnership.

14/08/2026

Are you attending Naidex Roadshow South 2026?

Our Chair Karen Pearce will be there speaking on the panel, ‘Making Support Accessible: Navigating Equipment and Financial Support’.

The panel will explore the often overlooked period between recognising a need for support, receiving formal assistance and disability-related benefits, and what organisations should be doing to support daily life.

The discussion also aims to highlight opportunities for earlier intervention, greater collaboration across services, and more equitable access to the equipment and resources that enable disabled people to live independently and participate fully in everyday life.

The session takes place 3:00pm - 3:45pm on Wednesday 9th September on the Main Stage.

Tailored to the South of England, Naidex Roadshow South builds on Naidex, an established event for disability, accessibility and independent living.

The inaugural show takes place on Wednesday 9th September at Farnborough International. Find out more information here: https://bit.ly/4g5kS4T

13/08/2026

It’s fantastic to see the growing support for the work that we do – particularly from our growing family of partners.

Every one plays a valuable role in supporting us in our mission to ensure every wheelchair user gets the right chair, at the right time.

A big welcome goes to one of our latest partners, Sociability.

They are a UK-based accessibility app helping disabled people find accessible places across the UK.

12/08/2026

Community equipment services (CES) and wheelchair services play a vital role in supporting the independence, health and daily life of wheelchair users. But they are funded, commissioned and delivered across England in different ways, with different structures, responsibilities, and routes of access.

That’s why the Wheelchair Alliance and the British Healthcare Trades Association have produced new guidance to help policymakers, commissioners, healthcare professionals, providers and other stakeholders better understand the differences – and avoid confusion in future debates and decision-making.

The guidance provides an accessible overview of how each service operates in England, including who is responsible for commissioning services, how provision is organised, and how people are referred to or access support. It also considers how eligibility and individual needs are assessed, and where responsibility for clinical decision-making sits.

It is this clear understanding that leads to better policy, stronger services and better outcomes for the people who rely on them.

You can read the full guidance here: https://bit.ly/4wnrXE8