Wheel-minded: Safe Bike Paths for More Accessible Cities

19. 1. 2025

Author: Tereza Škoulová

The Wheel-minded project was founded by two friends who moved from Czechia to the Netherlands. In their new country, they quickly noticed a high number of people using wheelchairs or walkers. Two years ago, they decided to explore the lives of people with mobility challenges in the Netherlands—and what lessons could be drawn. At the heart of their artistic series lies the idea that safe bike paths in cities benefit not only cyclists and pedestrians but also make life easier for wheelchair users, families with strollers, and older people with walkers.

“Mobility and accessibility of places are crucial for integrating people with limited mobility into everyday life. It’s not just about getting to the store independently; it’s also about chatting with a shop assistant, a neighbor, or someone in a café. This natural inclusion is what we aim to capture in our project,” explain Tom and Philip of Wheel-minded. They document such experiences and share real-life stories through their artwork.


How did the idea for Wheel-minded come about?

Tom: When I lived in Sweden for a while, I was fascinated by how developed society was in terms of the number of wheelchair users I noticed compared to back home. It was a pleasant surprise. I was also cycling daily, as many people do there. Although I didn’t make the connection between bike paths and accessibility at the time, it was a first step. Later, I moved to the Netherlands, where the situation is similar. During my first two years there, I started photographing what I saw around me and occasionally talking to people. The turning point was when I bought an action camera, brought it with me to a techno party, and encountered a girl in a wheelchair at the stage. It struck me that capturing such scenes on video would be powerful. Shortly after, I reached out to my long-time friend Philip, who works in video production. Sarah, the girl from the techno party, became the first person we collaborated with the following spring.

Philip: I’ve been making videos for a living for about ten years. While I sometimes work on big productions, I particularly enjoy grassroots projects that are socially engaged. For me, video is a tool for civic expression. The topic of accessibility resonated with me, especially since I’ve lived in the Netherlands for years and noticed the benefits of this greater diversity. I liked the idea of spreading this message through art. The symbiosis between cycling and people with mobility challenges demonstrates how well-designed cycling infrastructure and urban planning can benefit various population groups.

How do you see your role in practically changing the current situation in other countries?

Tom: Our role is talking about accessibility and its advantages. While I think our project could have practical implications, that’s not our main focus. We aim to inform and introduce the concept. Czechia is a natural choice because we’re both from there, but the same principles apply elsewhere. It starts with examples of what can be done, combined with art to make people rethink assumptions or change their perspectives—that’s what art is about.

Philip: Practically speaking, we’re planning our first exhibition next year. We believe it will be valuable even for people who aren’t directly interested in accessibility. We aim to reach a broader audience by going beyond the topic of accessibility and providing the human stories behind it. We believe in the power of discussion: when people share our insights, it can have a positive impact.


The Dutch started focusing on improving their bike infrastructure in the 1970s. Keeping that in mind, what lessons can we learn and how can we adopt them?

Tom: Our exhibition aims to showcase the Dutch approach. There are many practical aspects that can be replicated. The Netherlands has spent decades refining its infrastructure, so they know what works. Their approach can serve as a template for city developments, making them bike-friendly. The key point is safety. They constantly enhance their infrastructure to meet the highest safety standards. It’s not rocket science—there are books and YouTube channels with millions of followers about this. It just takes thoughtful design. While it requires investment and effort, the results benefit not just cyclists but other groups as well.

Philip: I’d like to add some facts about this: the Netherlands has 153,000 kilometers of bike paths. In many cases, they are used for commuting, while in Czechia, they are mostly used for recreational activities. For example, Amsterdam has about 500 kilometers of bike paths, whereas Prague, which is slightly larger, has around 540 kilometers. Yet in Prague, you don’t see the same level of accessibility. This shows it’s not about the numbers but how and where the bike paths are designed and how safe they are. That’s the biggest differentiator for adoption in daily life.

I can relate to that. I am sometimes afraid to bike myself in the centre of Prague, for example, along ‘magistrála’. What’s essential for making urban cycling functional in city centers?

Tom: The foundation is separating bike lanes from cars, ideally with physical barriers, a height difference, or greenery. Another effective strategy is drastically reducing the speed of cars in cities and prioritizing bikes on smaller streets and residential areas. This ties into culture: in the Netherlands, everyone cycles—even drivers. That’s why they wait, don’t tailgate cyclists, and drive slowly. As a result, you see children, students, families with cargo bikes, and everyone else riding bikes everywhere.


Does your project engage with organizations like Automat or Pěšky městem?

Tom: Not yet, but it’s inspiring to see what they do. They have been working on this topic for a long time, so they understand local specifics better and have more connections to put things in motion compared to us. The strength of our project lies in its artistic dimension: we aim to connect with people through art to resonate with our audience on an emotional level.

Philip: Since moving to the Netherlands, Tom has been interacting with wheelchair users and asking if he can photograph them in everyday situations. His photos moved me. Seeing wheelchair users in so many different situations, fully integrated into society, is powerful. These photos are complemented by video interviews that help us understand the perspective of the community better. While there are challenges in the Netherlands, their cities function well for everyone. This is obvious from the high number of wheelchair users, especially in smaller towns. Thanks to the infrastructure, they can live a similar life to others without mobility challenges—whether we’re talking about youngsters, adults, or elderly people.

Tom: It is unparalleled. You go to a town’s food market and happen to be around some wheelchair users going by literally every minute or so. You can see they are independent, which is why the difference between here and Czechia is so noticeable.

When I talk to people with disabilities, they often mention they also have to deal with mental barriers, not only physical ones. It seems that those have disappeared in the Netherlands as well…  

Tom: Yes, to a greater extent. Dutch culture is very open, which certainly helps. We spoke with foreigners living in the Netherlands, and they also strongly perceive mental barriers they had experienced in their home land. Some really moved to the Netherlands for this reason. I remember the story of a woman from Romania whose daughter with a disability could feel alienated there at times.  

Philip: The attitude of society plays a huge role: learning to perceive people with any kind of differences naturally is so important. Not being afraid to approach them, talk to them, and avoid pitying them. Taking a step forward. They’re people just like us, and in many ways, they’re unique. It reminds me of the story of a woman who rides a hand bike and even does competitions. Out of curiosity, Tom borrowed her bike and experienced something new (laughing).  

Tom: That’s essentially why we’re doing this project: by interviewing people with reduced mobility we can capture who they are as humans. The assumption that physically disadvantaged people must have a worse life is a misconception. They face different challenges, but at the same time, they experience many things just like everyone else.


You advocate for the rights of the community. How often are people with mobility challenges involved in infrastructure planning in The Netherlands?

Tom: We once filmed with one such person during King’s Day, a massive celebration in the Netherlands. She worked with a local organization to assess this venue and make cultural events more accessible.

Philip: In the Netherlands, cities try to gather feedback and involve the public. People are actively invited to participate through announcements in newspapers, on billboards, and even in mailboxes when a new neighborhood is planned.

It is not always easy to convince authorities about social issues. What arguments work for promoting accessibility to those who don’t value it as much, perhaps political parties etc.?

Tom: Accessibility and inclusion make economic sense too. The more people with disabilities integrate into regular life, the less dependent they are on state support and the more they contribute to the economy. They gain independence, find better jobs, and spend more – this positive effect is clear.

Philip: There’s also an emotional aspect: anyone, even that politician, can find themselves in a situation requiring public space to be accessible.  We’ve spoken to older people who use wheelchairs not because of severe disabilities but because it’s a more comfortable way to get around. It was great to see the increased inclusion of the elders and is a reminder that we all age and might need such infrastructure someday.


Philip Chemayel – filmmaker, currently living in Amsterdam, works as a freelance video maker and documentary editor. For the last few years, he has been concentrating his work more towards the production of art-educational events, where the creation of audiovisual work is more of a complement rather than the main goal. Nevertheless, he never lets his camera out of his hand. If he were stranded on a desert island with only one genre of music playing, he’d choose reggae. He likes to walk everywhere on foot and cook Lebanese food.

Tom Pudil – manages the distribution of software for neuroscience purposes at a Dutch company. He has been a photographer since childhood and in recent years has been interested in capturing and sharing stories over aesthetics. He also has an insistent need to explore suburbia and the lives of ordinary people. A major theme in his life is human (mis)understanding. Whether he’s whizzing on his folding bike to the train, work or tennis, he never forgets to bring a notebook for a flurry of ideas and an e-reader.

Inspiration:

http://www.modacitylife.com/cycling-city

https://www.youtube.com/c/notjustbikes

https://www.youtube.com/@BicycleDutch


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