The Crittenden Automotive Library

The World of Racing Makes Accessibility a Priority

The World of Racing Makes Accessibility a Priority

Lucy Wyndham
1 March 2019

Photo by Pietro De Grandi

25.5 million Americans have self-reported travel-limiting disabilities, but that hasn’t stopped them from learning how to drive, even professionally.Not only are people living with disabilities driving at higher rates, but they’re also driving innovation. From technology to changes in rules and regulations, the fight for accessibility and inclusivity rages on, even in the world of racecar driving. As of October 2018, recent changes have been implemented, with more to come, all with the aim of updating the racing world to be more accessible.

Accessibility for Racers and Spectators

The world of automotive racing is constantly changing, and this past fall, changes were requested from the president of the international FIA Disability and Accessibility Commission. In October of 2018, Nathalie McGloin called for fundamental changes to be made within the world of motor racing in order to make it more inclusive and accessible for drivers with disabilities. With the aim of increasing the opportunities that people living with disabilities have to access the sport, McGloin called for easier application processes for competitive racing, accessible podiums, and even improvements regarding the accessibility that spectators have to access racing events. Installing mobility devices in stadiums would help increase the future of accessibility in racing and other sports. These efforts and those behind them aim to implement the changes in all Formula 1, GP and Formula E circuits by the end of 2019 and will continue, according to McGloin and other professionals, until the sport is entirely inclusive and accessible by all drivers and fans.

Catering to Different Needs

The Secretary-General for Motor Sports, Peter Bayer, spoke about how critical it is to encourage accessibility in racing, in part for the learning ability it provides organizations with to understand different types of drivers and their needs. Of the changes being made, he noted that “For us [it’s] critical to have a global database of solutions for drivers with a handicap to make it easier for someone who arrives to understand what is actually existing.” Currently, various drivers compete professionally with altered in-car setups. Teen driver Billy Monger, for example, lost both legs in a 2017 car crash while racing and has recently returned to racing, merely with modified hand controls and a prosthetic leg. These types of changes aim to help drivers like Monger who can pass the cockpit extraction test but might need a little more assistance in other areas of the sport.

Updating Old Ideals

2018 saw various people in the industry working hard to update old ideas and regulation to accommodate various types of drivers. This is uplifting in many ways, but in part as a global community that caters to the needs of different abilities and those who might want to participate in the sport but in a different way than others. These types of changes ensure inclusivity for all and allow great racecar drivers to participate in a sport they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. This increases opportunities while adding great competitive variety to the sport.