Care on the Move is a three-year research project hosted by the Transport Studies Unit at the University of Oxford and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The project focuses on the everyday mobility of families with children with SEN and non-visible disabilities (these include, but are not limited to, sensory processing difficulties, autism, and chronic pain; find out more about the terminology we use here). At least 1.5 million children in England have special educational needs (SEN), with the most common type of need involving a non-visible disability (GOV.UK, 2022).
The needs of children with disabilities and their families are rarely considered in policies and interventions aimed at promoting active and sustainable travel. To the extent that they are, the focus tends to be on physical disability and accessibility. At the same time, the barriers faced by children and families living with non-visible disabilities remain poorly understood. The project examines these barriers to everyday mobility, and the work performed by children and families in response to them, through the concept of ‘care on the move.’ ‘Care on the move’ focuses on the labour of planning, managing, and modifying journeys when living with non-visible disabilities. The concept centres the care embedded in journeys themselves, in contrast to existing geographical research which largely focuses on journeys as means to accessing or giving care at specific destinations. Understanding the physical, emotional, and logistical labour associated with ‘care on the move’, and the constraints within which ‘care on the move’ takes place, offers novel and tangible ways of making the active travel agenda more inclusive.
The project draws upon co-produced and playful interventions in collaboration with project partners (SENDIASS Oxfordshire and Swindon SEND Families Voice). The project aims to transform how academics, policymakers, practitioners and other stakeholders (including local education authorities; education and disability support services; charities) conceive of inclusive active travel.
