Stigma surrounding mobility scooters is causing people who need them to feel isolated and looked down on. These are the key findings according to new research revealing how negative perceptions of mobility aids are affecting independence, confidence and social lives across Britain.
More than eight in 10 mobility-aid users believe there is a stigma attached to using a mobility scooter.
The research, commissioned by Supersmith, found that over eight in 10 (81%) of people who use a mobility aid believe there is a stigma associated with mobility scooters, rising to nine in 10 (91%) in Greater London. Those aged 25-34 were the most likely to experience stigma.
More than half (57%) said they feel people “look down on” them for using a mobility scooter, while over half (54%) feel uncomfortable about being physically looked down on when using one.
The consequences extend beyond perception: more than half (52%) said they had been bumped or walked into while using a wheelchair or mobility scooter, and 45% said mobility issues leave them feeling isolated.
Most concerningly, close to half (48%) of people who need additional support to walk agree a mobility scooter could greatly improve their quality of life – but said they still would not use one, because of associated stigma.
A team of UK university-based engineers and entrepreneurs hopes to change both the technology and the culture surrounding mobility.
Recently, at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – one of the capital’s major cultural, sporting and leisure destinations – Supersmith launched the 3Scooter, a radically redesigned mobility vehicle intended to overcome both the physical and emotional barriers that can prevent people from getting out and experiencing the world around them.
Rather than placing its rider in the low seating position associated with a conventional mobility scooter, the 3Scooter allows users to travel at eye level.
The aim is deceptively simple – to make eye-level conversations possible, and change the way mobility is experienced – by riders and by the people around them, whilst benefiting as many as 1.9 million people with walking difficulties in the UK.
The 3Scooter uses an intelligent active suspension and robotic control system designed to keep the vehicle stable as it travels and corners, addressing one of the fundamental safety concerns associated with conventional three-wheeled mobility scooters – tipping. The concept draws parallels to the active suspension technology that Formula 1 developed before such systems were prohibited from competition.
The scooter was put to the test at the Olympic Park, where the scooter’s stability and safety on hills, corners and curbs will be showcased at the site’s facilities.
Behind the 3Scooter is entrepreneur Tom Morgan, whose determination to rethink mobility was shaped by the experiences of his sister and the problems she encountered with existing mobility products, including the risk of scooters tipping.
“Mobility issues shouldn’t mean missing out, or a product you’re too embarrassed to use. It shouldn’t mean staying at home, feeling isolated or having to accept that everyone around you will literally and figuratively look down on you.
“My sister’s experiences showed me that there were real engineering problems with traditional mobility scooters, particularly around stability and tipping. But as we started looking more closely, we realised there was another barrier that technology alone hadn’t addressed – stigma.
“When almost half of people tell us a mobility scooter could improve their quality of life, but they still wouldn’t use one, something has gone badly wrong. We need to rethink not only what mobility scooters can do, but what they represent.
“That’s why we wanted to create something completely different. We’ve taken ideas and technologies from Formula 1, drones, and e-bikes and applied them to personal mobility, allowing the rider to sit much higher while the scooter actively manages stability.
We want people using the 3Scooter to be able to go to a gallery, a gig, a sporting event, a restaurant or meet friends and feel part of what is happening around them.”
The 3Scooter is also being positioned beyond the traditional mobility-aid market, with plans for it to be stocked at department stores and provided for use at major London attractions.
Victoria Jenkins, fashion designer and Supersmith ambassador added – “For too long, mobility products have been designed as medical equipment first and something people might actually aspire to own second.
“Why shouldn’t mobility design be innovative and exciting? Why shouldn’t it belong in the same conversations as automotive design, fashion and technology?
“The 3Scooter isn’t about asking people with mobility difficulties to fit around the world as it is. It’s about giving usgreater freedom to experience it on their own terms.”
The 3Scooter launched at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London on 23 September 2026 and will be available to test drive across the UK. For more information visit supersmith.co
