Legal Definitions: Practical Lived Mobility

Right up front we need to state: neither of us are attorneys, nor do we want to be.

The ADA’s legal definitions of mobility devices are more complicated than they first appear: Mobility Devices. We have no opinion as to whether or not folding bicycles “qualify” as mobility devices.

We’re much more focused on practical, lived mobility. Aging and quiet, progressive disabilities have made both of us less mobile than we used to be.

Some years ago, we decided to push back using whatever technologies and adaptations we could leverage. Bicycles became a huge part of that pushback.

Hiking 8 miles in a state park is much less likely these days, but riding 31 miles through the Dutch countryside is not only possible but probable.

We became more interested in practical, lived mobility than formal categories. Instead of walking the dogs together, maybe one of us walks and the other rides a Brompton. Instead of driving 2 miles to the grocery store, biking is almost as easy.

Practical lived mobility is choosing ways of moving through life that preserve range, independence, and curiosity. It’s a mindset of choosing to keep moving.