Dusty Wentworth

For most, saving for a flat or a car represents a key milestone—a significant step towards independence. But for many disabled people in the UK, that same sum represents the cost of their freedom.  A reasonably priced, custom-built wheelchair—the kind that enables a full and active life—can cost around £5,000. It is an essential piece of equipment that many must fund out of their own pocket, a sum that could otherwise have been a deposit towards their future. A Week in the Life of a Free-Wheeler Chloe is a graphic designer in her twenties. She loves gigs with friends, navigating London’s busy streets, and building a creative career. But every day she faces a silent battle. The wheelchair provided by the NHS, while functional, is heavy and cumbersome. Trying to board a crowded bus, she feels the eyes of passengers as she struggles with the weight. Her shoulders and wrists ache with every push. It is a daily battle between body and chair—a battle she cannot win. This is n...

Access Denied: The Harsh Reality of Accessibility for Wheelchair Users in 2025 From broken paths to outdated laws, here's what's still falling short for wheelchair users in Britain. The Illusion of Progress We’re told the future is accessible. But for many of us, it still isn’t. Government and businesses love to highlight their progress on disability access, from new digital legislation to step-free train stations. But for wheelchair users, the lived reality often tells a different story—one of patchy infrastructure, outdated attitudes, and policy decisions that undermine the very freedoms they claim to support. Every day, as a full-time wheelchair user and a father, I encounter countless barriers. I see the cracks everywhere: in disabled bays with no room to get my kids out, in broken pavement ramps, in public toilets that are too small to turn around in. And while there’s a glimmer of hope with new legislation like the European Accessibility Act (EAA) 2025 focusin...