Mobility as social participation : a case study from the Netherlands

This paper analyses the current use of mobility means and evaluates an innovative mobility solution proposal that aimed to enable elderly people to participate in the local community in the Trynwâlden in the Netherlands First, qualitative user research methods (interview and cultural probes) were used to understand the current user experience. A total of five elderly Trynwâlden citizens, aged between 60 to 86 and mixed males and females, participated in this research. Then, a field test using an experiential prototype (the Skewiel Mobiel (see figure 1) with a simple service outline and a GPS to monitor the trip statistics) was conducted to evaluate the intended solution. In total 25 different users (17 females, 8 males, between 60 to 86 years old) took 32 rides. Figure 1: The Skewiel Mobiel The use research results identified four elderly mobility levels and the associated transport means (Table 1). The level of mobility is very much determined by the physical disabilities or impairments of the elderly people. Table 1 Mobility levels and transport means Mobility level: Transport means Very mobile: Bicycle, car, bus Mobile: Walker, scootmobiel, taxi Insufficient mobile: Walker, taxi Immobile: None The field test results showed: a) Mostly rides with short distances to shops or to friends or family b) The importance of personal contact with the driver and the co-travellers The new proposal was very interesting for elderly with insufficient mobility and immobility to stay more connected with the local community. Furthermore opportunities could be created for, e.g. local shops and attractions, to create mobility services for social participation. The results also suggested that design and action research methods are more suitable when evaluating a yet to be developed solution compared to traditional user research methods.