Mobility for Life project examines earlier access to power wheelchairs
Up to 100 people with Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, or Muscular Dystrophy will receive power wheelchairs as part of a joint Enable New Zealand and Disability Support Services (DSS) project exploring the benefits of earlier access.
August 18th, 2026
The project, called Mobility for Life, will provide a maximum of 100 people with Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, or Muscular Dystrophy a power wheelchair earlier than they might usually receive one.
Under current criteria, people with these conditions might receive a power wheelchair from Enable New Zealand and Disability Support Services after they’re assessed as needing one to get around their home.
The Mobility for Life project is providing people with power wheelchairs outside of current criteria and researching the impact this has.
The power wheelchairs will be newly purchased for the project and is using separate funding allocated by DSS-Ministry of Social Development specifically for this research project.
What Mobility for Life is trying to find out
Overseas research shows that giving people with these conditions earlier access to power wheelchairs can lead to better outcomes – for example, more independence and fewer injuries or hospital stays.
Mobility for Life is testing whether the same benefits happen in a New Zealand context. The project asks:
whether people with these conditions have better outcomes when they get a power wheelchair earlier
if those better outcomes lead to more independence over time
if earlier access to equipment is a good use of funding in the long run
The findings will help shape how power wheelchairs are provided in the future and guide decisions about funding and policy.
The research team
An independent research team contracted by Enable New Zealand is running the evaluation. The research team will talk with:
people who get a power wheelchair through Mobility for Life
whānau and carers who support these wheelchair users
assessors and technical staff involved in the process.
How the research works
The research uses an approach called activation mapping. This looks at the difference a power wheelchair makes in a person’s everyday life over time. It doesn't compare participants to each other, people outside the project, or people’s experiences with other types of equipment.
The research team will check in with participants twice:
roughly one month after getting their wheelchair
six to nine months after getting their wheelchair
Researchers will talk with the people who get the wheelchairs, their whānau and carers, and the staff involved, to understand what difference the wheelchair makes over time.
This is separate from appointments participants have with assessors.
Overall, the research project will run for two years.
People who take part in the project will keep the wheelchairs for as long as the equipment meets their needs
Who can take part in Mobility for Life
Someone may be eligible (able to take part in the research) if they:
are aged 14 or older
have a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, Cerebral Palsy, or Muscular Dystrophy
need a power wheelchair to get around inside and/or outside their home, including to get out into the community independently
would benefit from either their first power wheelchair or a replacement power wheelchair – the project can't provide a second wheelchair to someone who already has one that meets their needs
live south of the Bombay Hills. This is Enable New Zealand’s service area for DSS.
How to take part
If you're a person needing a wheelchair
Talk to your assessor (usually an occupational therapist or physiotherapist). They'll work with you to check whether a power wheelchair is right for you, and whether you meet the criteria for Mobility for Life. If you do, they'll refer you into the project.
If you're an assessor referring someone into the project
Enable New Zealand has information about how to refer someone into Mobility for Life.
Find assessor information on the Enable NZ website