REGAIN WITH
INDEPENDENCE ON WHEELS
Discover how INDEPENDENCE ON WHEELS helps mobility scooter users in Exeter and East Devon find freedom, connection, and joy. Join our community and experience life beyond limitations.
Our services
INDEPENDENCE ON WHEELS offers a unique blend of social connection, safe exploration, and renewed independence for mobility scooter users in Exeter. We're more than just a club; we're a community.
Friendly social hubs
Meet new friends and share stories at fully accessible community spaces and cafes. Enjoy a warm cuppa and good conversation every Monday and Friday from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
Safe route exploration
Explore Exeter's beautiful flat, paved areas with confidence. Our organised nature rolls and local street outings use wide tarmac paths, ensuring a smooth and safe journey for your scooter.
Occasional group meals
Beyond coffee, we plan delightful group lunches at highly accessible local pubs and restaurants with level access, making dining out a joyful, shared experience.
Regain your freedom, find your community
The best part about joining INDEPENDENCE ON WHEELS is getting your freedom back without the fear of navigating the streets alone. We transform what can be a stressful, isolating experience into a safe, joyful, and deeply social routine.
Total confidence on the roads
Navigating broken pavements, steep hills, or high kerbs alone can feel daunting. Joining our club means you roll in a supportive group along routes that have already been checked for safety. You can focus entirely on enjoying the fresh air, knowing the path ahead is wide, flat, and completely accessible.
An instant circle of friends
Living with limited mobility can often lead to feeling trapped indoors. The club gives you a meaningful reason to get dressed, head out, and connect with people who truly understand your day-to-day experiences. It replaces loneliness with laughter, shared stories, and a friendly chat over a warm cuppa.
Discover new, accessible places
Beyond familiar routes, our club introduces you to new, accessible community spaces, cafes, and restaurants in Exeter and East Devon. Experience the joy of discovering hidden gems and enjoying varied outings with your new friends.
What makes us different?
INDEPENDENCE ON WHEELS stands out because it is a purely social club focused on outdoor connection and community, rather than a task-focused service or an equipment provider. While other services provide tools or essential transport, we are entirely dedicated to your leisure time, fresh air, and social life. We bridge the gap by focusing entirely on fun, lifestyle, and casual group freedom.
TRAILS
Given that I spend a good chunk of my working life out on footpaths, I know that if there comes a time when I'm less mobile I, too, will still want to be out there, immersed in the countryside. Fresh air is good for the soul and we all need that. So what is available for those who cannot get around quite as easily as they once did?
The answer is encouraging. Public awareness of the need for accessibility is now key, and my investigations came up with a good number of options for suggested routes.
A friend of mine uses a mobility scooter out in the countryside, so he seemed the best person with whom to start my enquiries. He reminded me of the Grand Western Canal, a route which I've known since childhood and frequently revisit. One thing to remember is that wheelchair-friendly paths are often shared by cyclists - so watch out for bikes!
The open spaces of Devon are there for all of us to enjoy. Hopefully these suggestions and organisations will help everyone get that little bit further.
The South West Coast Path (SWCP)
One of our best 'breathing spaces', everyone needs to be able to access the coast and Devon is lucky to have two completely separate sections of coastline.
The scenery can be spectacular and another friend of mine completed the whole 600+ miles of the path a couple of years ago - with an artificial leg.
The route offers a challenging terrain but the SWCP website has a section dedicated to 'easy access walks'.
Each suggested route has information about its accessibility, including details of gradients, gates etc., so you can judge whether the location is right for you.
A Countryside Mobility Tramper in Haldon Forest, near Exeter ( (Image: photo Living Options Devon)
This excellent initiative of disability charity Living Options, has the slogan: "Enabling easy access to the South West's beauty spots" - and it does just that.
Providing safe access to some of our most scenic locations for anyone over 14 years of age who has difficulty walking, it runs an off-road mobility scooter, or 'Tramper', hire scheme.
The scheme operates in such locations as the Heddon Valley on Exmoor, The Granite Way on Dartmoor, Lundy Island and many National Trust properties, such as Castle Drogo and Killerton, where acres of superb parkland can be accessed on the Tramper.
Annual membership of the scheme costs £10; a two week 'taster' membership of £2.50 also gives access to all of their locations - and you can join at any of the sites where a Countryside Mobility Tramper is located (joining involves a short induction session).
A Countryside Mobility Tramper in Haldon Forest, near Exeter ( (Image: photo Living Options Devon)
4) Accessible Countryside for Everyone
I've also been given this further very useful recommendation - a privately-established website, set up as a resource to provide free information on locations, walks and recreational opportunities with disabled access.
The website lists not only walks but also beaches and pubs, plus a host of other useful recommendations, including taxis.
More to consider
Not every 'accessible' route will be suitable for all people with mobility scooters or wheelchairs, but other ideas to look at are:
This 21-mile route skirts Dartmoor, linking Plymouth with Tavistock. Not every bit is accessible for wheels, but much of it is.
Expect ascents and descents along the way. The surface is tarmac or stony and there are some short road sections. There are plans to improve the tricky sections to make it more accessible.
The two mile section between Exmouth and Lympstone is surfaced throughout and is easy, level going.
One of our lovely long-distance paths in the northern part of the county, much of it is surfaced for wheels - and it is entirely traffic-free, apart from bikes.
Explore our products
At Independence Mobility and Medical Hire, we believe in supporting the communities we serve. That's why we're proud to announce the launch of our volunteering initiative, designed to support local charities making a difference in our communities.
Giving Back Together
Every team member now has the opportunity to participate in a fully paid volunteering day each year, dedicating their time to causes that matter. But we're going beyond just showing up. In the weeks leading up to each volunteering day, teams organise donations and collections, ensuring we arrive ready to make a meaningful impact.