Using an innovative robotic chair that can climb up to 20 floors, the Vertical Mobility project aims to increase accessibility for people with disabilities that live in high-rise buildings.
DISABLED ACCESS IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS
The Vertical Mobility project addresses the issue of broken elevators in high-rise buildings in France, which affects the ability of people with disabilities to access or leave their own homes. High-rise buildings are often constructed by the French government for low-income people and necessarily imply the use of elevators, however, these are often susceptible to damage. Fouad Ben Ahmed, founder of the Collective, identified this issue in his own neighbourhood in early 2016, and subsequently realised that it was a widespread issue across France. Despite asking the public administration to repair the elevators, bureaucracy resulted in a slow and ineffective response.
A ROBOTIC CHAIR CLIMBS STAIRS
To address the problem of broken elevators, the Collective came up with the solution of creating a robotic chair that can climb up and down stairs, carrying people with disabilities. In January 2021, Fouad presented the project to the public administration, proposing a robotic chair that can climb up to twenty floors, allowing disabled people to move around freely even when elevators are out of service.
THE RIGHT TO VERTICAL MOBILITY
To date, the robotic chair has helped provide transport 6,500 times, helping seniors to go to medical appointments and granting access to people with disabilities to places only accessible by stairs. This project has launched the innovative concept of the “right to vertical mobility”, which affirms that everyone has the right to come and go from their home despite mechanical failures in their buildings. The project aims to improve the situation throughout France and other countries of Europe, freeing disabled people from being trapped in their own apartments when elevators are out of service.
