Spinal cord injury community calls for further action towards day-to-day accessibility

By Slater and Gordon

The start of October marked the Spinal Injuries Association’s flagship event of the year, the Rebuilding Lives Conference. The much-anticipated event brings together spinal cord injury communities across the UK to understand the impact of spinal cord injury, as well as exploring key improvements to services.

The two-day event (1 – 2 October) invites attendees, including healthcare professionals, charity workers, policymakers and researchers, to a range of discussions on its 2026 theme: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures Together.

In attendance were legal experts from law firm Slater and Gordon, to understand what meaningful change is needed to support individuals with spinal cord injury.

Slater and Gordon’s Relationship Manager, Caroline Wareing, joined the panel as a speaker for Day 2’s ‘Equal Outcomes – Closing the Gap in Women’s Health after Spinal Cord Injury’. Joining her from the Spinal injuries Association was Dr Dharshana Sridhar, George Atwell, and Support Network Manager, Carol Barraclough.

The panel also invited NHS Storytelling Officer, Freya Lloyd and Professor Sue Sherman from The University of Sheffield.

Caroline suffered a T11 spinal cord injury in 2009 during a horse-riding accident, causing paraplegia to her lower body.

In her impactful talk, Caroline draws on both her own lived experience and her current work at the law firm supporting people with spinal cord injuries; highlighting the challenges of accessing healthcare as a disabled woman and urging healthcare professionals to understand the support patients may need to ensure these considerations are built into care from the outset.

Drawing on examples of inaccessible equipment and examination beds, lack of hoists and no alternative options, Caroline stated that access problems become healthcare inequalities when people are left unable to attend essential scans, screenings and appointments.

Caroline said: “For me, closing the gap means making sure that every woman with a spinal cord injury can access the healthcare she needs, whatever her level of injury and whatever her individual needs.”

Accessibility challenges were also highlighted in relation to rail travel, sharing the difficult journeys wheelchair users face.

Despite disabled passengers having the right to ‘turn up and go’ assistance without booking ahead of their travel, disabled passengers continue to face issues with ramp assistance, journey delays, lifts breaking down and occupied wheelchair spaces.

Reflecting on the Government’s 2025 Accessible Railways Roadmap, discussions highlighted that more must be done to improve the reliability of facilities and services for disabled travellers.

Associate Solicitor Nathan Bunch, shared a quote from the conference stating: “Until access is equal, we will never truly be equal.”

Accessibility challenges were also raised when adjusting to home life after being discharged from a spinal cord injury.

Alia Khan, Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager from Habinteg Accessible Homes, shared that only 40 per cent of new build homes meet Building Regulation M42 and are not fully wheelchair accessible.

Inaccessible housing removes independence and creates additional challenges for those early in their adaption to their life-changing injury.

Throughout the conference, one key theme addressed was the importance of rehabilitation and ongoing care following a spinal cord injury.

Legal experts from Slater and Gordon stressed that as well as legal support, access to specialist services is just as important. However, such access to spinal injury cord services is currently inconsistent.

Fiona Flynn, rehabilitation coordinator at Slater and Gordon added: “It remains clear that provision is still something of a postcode lottery.

Specialist spinal cord injury units are limited, and many people do not access them, instead receiving neuro-rehabilitation or inconsistent community-based services.

“When delivered at the right time and in the right setting, rehabilitation can be life-changing, supporting both physical recovery and psychological adjustment while enabling greater independence and hope for the future.”

Throughout the conference, many speakers addressed the importance of bringing spinal cord injury individuals into key decisions. Using real first-hand experience can be invaluable for informing accessibility consultations, designs and policy.

From healthcare to rehabilitation, and transport, the conference highlighted that accessibility can only be truly achieved by involving those with lived experience into early discussions.

As Caroline concluded: “Asking simply ‘What can I do to make it easier for you’ can make all the difference in recognising that voices of those with a spinal cord injury are the experts in understanding what support they need in their life.”