Motorcycle accessibility for paraplegics: the essential role of peer support
Motorcycling is more than a mode of transport, it's a real way of life, a passion (Scol, 2017). A passion that is not without risk, where accidents can happen at any time, and can be the breaking point between the biker and his passion. Five men who became paraplegics following a motorcycle accident share their life stories, and recount how it was possible for them to one day get back in the saddle despite their limitations. We followed the Planète Handisport association[1]The aim is to understand how they use their experience and know-how to enable people with reduced mobility to experience motorcycling on a circuit under "handi-capable" conditions. It's thanks to their determination and mutual support that they've managed to win back the racetracks, some even going so far as to compete alongside "able-bodied" drivers.
"6 years to the day after his motorcycle accident, Emmanuel SENIN (President of the association Planète Handisport - PHS) gets back on a two-wheeler."[2].
Following a motorcycle accident that left him paraplegic, Emmanuel Senin decided to get back in the saddle on August 8, 2020, at the Alès circuit. One month later, with his association Planète Handisport (PHS), he created France's first handisport mechanical center in Alès. For 2 years now, hundreds of people with reduced mobility (upper and lower limb amputees, paraplegics, hemiplegics, etc.) have been getting back on their bikes thanks to this association. It's a feat that overturns the stigma attached to disability, and shows that nothing is impossible as long as the right adaptation and personalized support are in place.
"For a long time, it was taken for granted that certain "dangerous" spaces should remain closed to them, and that the "disabled" should confine their physical activities to prepared, adapted and "sanitized" places" (De Léséleuc, 2017, p. 4). Motorcycle circuits, in particular, were among these so-called "dangerous" spaces, where access for people with disabilities seemed unimaginable. "The environment thus becomes a component to be taken into account in the production of disability" (Reichhart, Lomo Myazhiom, 2020, p. 83). Reichhart clarifies the term "environment" by pointing out that it "is to be taken in a broad sense, and also encompasses in a combined and complementary way human help and intervention, but also material and technological innovation" (Reichhart, 2020, p. 8). Fougeyrollas' MDH-PPH model, developed in 1998, is an example of this approach.[3] introducing the idea that "environmental factors present in the environment of a person or a population can prove to be facilitators or obstacles"[4].
In this sense, people with disabilities must act on human and technological factors, in order to respond to a society based on a "validocentric" model, where the norm is an able-bodied Man (Probst et al., 2016). This raises the question of how motorcycling can be made accessible to people with reduced mobility (PRM).
First and foremost, it's the story of Stéphane Paulus, who became a paraplegic following a motorcycle accident in 2003. To do this, he set up a whole technological system to adapt his motorcycle to his handicap. But this is just one example of many who have gone before him. Indeed, many of them used their own technical knowledge to adapt the object to their skills. These men took on the role of true "do-it-yourselfers", making their own adaptations to their equipment. The early days of the handi-moto were therefore characterized by "resourcefulness" (Perera, Beldame, Soulé, 2020, p. 150). More broadly, in the history of the handisport movement, technical innovation in sports equipment generally involves adaptations "based on a logic of mutual aid and DIY adaptation" (Perera, Beldame, Soulé, 2020, p.151). For example, in the early days of the all-terrain wheelchair in France, pioneers "designed and built a cross-country sled" from bits of welded tubing. The equipment was then tested, with "occasional failures", on the peaks of Tignes." (Le Roux, Galy, Perera, 2018).
Through trial and error, "technical developments seem indispensable if we are to progressively move towards a more universalist perspective, 'for all'" (Issanchou, Perera, 2020, p. 10). The environment is a complex, evolving system, which means that we need to use technology as a tool in the service of accessibility. It acts in such a way as to make it possible to "get back in the saddle" in complete safety, despite the disability. But this requires mastery of adapted equipment, and more specifically of motorcycle use.
Before their accidents, some individuals had already incorporated technology through a "highly technologized" motor sport such as motorcycling: "Being at one with a machine to be the fastest is part of their biker habitus" (Issanchou, Perera, 2020, p. 57). By incorporating the dynamics of the motorcycle object, they open up "new possibilities for engagement, overcoming and perceiving disability" (Perera, Villoing, Galy, 2020, p.12). According to Nuss (2008, p.64), these are "otherwise capable" individuals. "Indeed, the disabled body reflects a fragility that constructs relationships of domination in its care, requiring multiple resources to make it handi-capable" (Perera, Villoing, Galy, 2020, p.12). Their pre-accident motorcycling experiences now facilitate access to "handi-capable" status, leaving behind their limitations (Andrieu, 2017). They are proof, for all people with reduced mobility, that it is possible to get back on a motorcycle.
In addition to the purely technical aspects, human facilitators are added where technology reaches its limits. Beyond the able-bodied, a mechanism of mutual aid and solidarity between peers is created, known as "peer-assistance". In the field of mental health, Bernard Durand characterizes this term as a way of "restoring hope to those who are still in the throes of illness, and leading them to regain the capacity to act (empowerment) to engage in a recovery process" (2020, p. 8). In our context, this "peer-help" is characterized by the accompaniment of the person in a process of resumption of motorcycling following the accident.
Thus, it is the complementarity of human and technological facilitators that makes motorcycle racing possible today for people with reduced mobility. However, according to Hamonet (2016, p.61), based on Pierre Minaire's formula "Handicap is not a constant, but a variable", we must bear in mind that "to make the 'cursor' vary in the right direction, it is first of all on the situations that we must act to make them less 'handicapping'". So, these human and technological facilitators can also turn out to be obstacles. What remains to be defined is the nature of these facilitators/obstacles and the way in which they are used. That's why we decided to follow the PHS association and the development of its mechanical division, in order to understand: How does the PHS association enable people with reduced mobility to get back on their motorcycles in a specially adapted setting, involving an adapted motorcycle and peer-assisted support?
Methodology
To answer our question, we analyzed the different experiences of paraplegics who decide to get back on their motorcycles in a setting set up by the "Planète handisport" (PHS) association. Our research was based mainly on semi-structured interviews, guided and supplemented by participant observation on the motorcycle circuit in Alès.
Our qualitative approach began with a meeting with the PHS association at the Alès circuit on February 25, 2022. During the day, we were able to witness and participate in the first ride of association member Jean-Pierre Roux (paraplegic, injured 11 years ago), and the training of professional driver Benoit Thibal (paraplegic, injured 14 years ago). A dozen volunteers were on hand, along with mechanic Laurent Tronnet (paraplegic, injured 26 years ago) and association founder and president Emmanuel Senin (paraplegic, injured 28 years ago). This initial fieldwork phase, in the form of participant observation, plays a dual role. Not only does it enable us to make contact with the people who are likely to be interviewed, but it also creates a bond with them, which can only facilitate subsequent exchanges. Our participation in various tasks, such as transferring the wheelchair to the motorcycle, or keeping the motorcycle balanced during the departure and arrival of the PRM rider, immersed us in the process of taking over the motorcycle. This engaging experience, made up of observations and verbal interactions, was used extensively in the semi-structured interviews to situate our comments.
The interviews were conducted with five paraplegic men, all motorcycle accident victims who had decided to ride at least once with the PHS team: Emmanuel Senin, Laurent Tronnet, Jean-Pierre Roux, Benoît Thibal and Thomas Vergnet (paraplegic, 13-year accident victim), who is in charge of wakeboarding and water-skiing activities. All the interviews, lasting an average of 45 minutes, were conducted by videoconference, except for those with Thomas Vergnet and Emmauel Senin, for whom the meeting took place directly at their homes. The choice of videoconferencing for four of them, linked to their geographical location, entails certain biases, such as possible inaudible segments, pauses, inability to read body language, etc. (Seitz, 2016). Nevertheless, the initial contact made when we attended the February 25, 2022 event made it easier to understand the exchanges. The interviews followed a guideline based on general themes around: the encounter, the motorcycle, the accident, and the process of getting back in the saddle. The challenge was to understand the path that led them to choose to get back on a motorcycle.
Technology to facilitate the motorcycle trade-in process
When we broached the subject of accessibility, all our interviewees agreed that real progress had been made since their accidents. For Thomas V. (paraplegic, injured for 13 years), the environment around us "is not designed for people with disabilities". According to him, adaptations are the fruit of technological and human evolution: "Passionate people who have given their time and energy to ensure that the handicap, thanks to the equipment, is as light and as painless as possible". He goes on to acknowledge the major role of technology: "So, yes, accessibility and equipment go hand in hand. So there is a role for technology. "In this context, technology is thought of in relation to a body that it attempts to repair, compensating for the consequences of an incapacity resulting from a deficiency" (Reichhart, 2020, p. 8). A closer look at handi-bikes reveals technology as a central element in their evolution. In the early days of handi-moto, Stéphane Paulus, a forerunner of the movement in France, developed "an electrically retractable center stand system using a handlebar control."[5]. Laurent T., a mechanic in the PHS mechanics department, was inspired by these developments, and adapted the first motorcycle of Stéphane Paulus, a professional PRM rider and PHS motorsports instructor: "I took a look at how the motorcycles were fitted out, and then, for Benoît's motorcycle, it's a fitting that must suit Benoît". For the association, these are adaptations that have to suit everyone". As De Fonclare and Bonnin (2007, p. 43) put it so well: "there are as many handicaps as there are handicapped people". Technical and technological development must therefore respond to a diversity of needs (Reichhart, 2020, p. 8). That's why "there's a motorcycle that's adapted for paraplegics and a motorcycle that's adapted more for amputees", explains Emmanuel S., president and founder of the PHS association. Adaptations made according to the needs and specificities of each individual.
First of all, it was a solidarity movement made up mainly of disabled sportsmen and women. The era of "resourcefulness" was born. These are true "do-it-yourselfers" who adapt equipment to make it accessible to the greatest number. Technological and material evolutions enabled the motorcycle to be adapted to the individual. Benoît T. talks about adaptations: "There are the automatic mountain bike pedals to hold your feet, the strap to hold your knees against the tank, the electric shifter with buttons for shifting gears, and the thumb-operated rear brake, and then a few adjustments to the tank to make it more comfortable to stand.
Nonetheless, these adjustments require technical mastery on the part of the rider. Benoît T., as a professional PRM rider and PHS motorsports instructor, explains that "you have to feel at ease on the bike and be at one with it if you want to perform well and enjoy yourself". Through this idea, Vannier (2020, p. 11) identifies the incorporation process linking man to the dynamics of the "motorcycle" object. In this sense, "technology can be a facilitator, i.e., a condition facilitating accessibility" (Reichhart, 2020, p. 10) only if a technical apprenticeship in riding is acquired.
But technology alone cannot neutralize all the obstacles imposed by society. According to Laurent T., motorcycle accessibility for PRM could have been possible much earlier: "Technology is one thing, but I think it's more people's mindset that has evolved than technology. 10 years ago, the equipment already existed, and the FFM, for example, didn't want to hear about PRM. [...] Because I think that psychologically, people weren't ready to put a handicapped person on a motorcycle, on a track. [...] They weren't ready to face the fear or the risk of putting PRMs on a track". The question then arises as to how these obstacles have been overcome, enabling the development of motorcycling for PRMs.
Educating and proving oneself to cope with disability: a race towards "able-bodied" competition
Since 2013, when Stéphane Paulus was refused a license by the FFM (Fédération Française de Motocyclisme), a real battle has begun against the reluctance of a society that adopts a "valido-centric" vision. Being limited by his handicap, Benoît T. says he has to "prove twice over that we belong with the able-bodied". Thanks to his exploits in competitions, he has raised the profile of drivers with reduced mobility and given credibility to their accessibility on the racetrack. He adopts the status of "handi-capable" (Andrieu, 2017) and rekindles, for all PRMs, the hope of one day being able to get back on a motorcycle. But he doesn't stop there, and goes even further by educating the "able-bodied" to consider disability. During introductory sessions on the motorcycle circuit, he acts as an instructor for all riders, whether able-bodied or disabled.
For him, there's no difference between a "disabled" and an "able-bodied" rider: "I don't make any difference from the moment you get on the bike, you're a rider". "This is the case, for example, with the standardization of competition equipment, which, by presenting a sporting result that would be produced by the difference in bodies alone, sidesteps all the work of adjustment and accommodation (Winance, 2010) that is nonetheless necessary to the achievement of an equipped sporting performance" (Issanchou, Perera, 2020, p. 20). Only the use of the legs differentiates an "able-bodied" pilot from a "disabled" one. As Laurent T. says of Benoît T. He has his machine, he rides differently, he has a different position, but he's a pilot. PRM riders are seen as riders with performance, times, etc.".
On July 9, 2016, the reconquest of motorcycle circuits took a historic turn. This date marks the beginning and creation of the PMR Cup, the first motorcycle speed race on a track reserved for riders with reduced mobility. A pivotal event in the evolution of the motorcycle world. In fact, it took 3 years for Stéphane Paulus to finally obtain a favorable opinion from the FFM. A real desire to develop motorcycling for PRMs emanates from the speeches of our interviewees, which Laurent T. supports by saying that "the more riders there are, the more they will be recognized, the more it will be a category. In the French championships, there are a maximum of 15 riders; if there were twice as many, it would be a more attractive spectacle. In France, there are around fifteen of us, and internationally around thirty. There's a bit of a shortage of competitors to make it eye-catching for the spectators, and to ensure that the "handis" are recognized as drivers. That's why some drivers, such as Benoît T., have set their sights on one day competing alongside "able-bodied" drivers. It's an ambition that seems to be taking shape when we ask the driver: "I've been wanting to race with the able-bodied for years, and I've been told no, and this is the first year I should normally be allowed to do so. On August 6, 2022, Benoît T. became the first paraplegic rider to compete in a French endurance championship event, the Ultimate Cup Moto.[6]alongside "able-bodied" riders. A feat that overturns the stigma attached to disability. "The handisport movement is part of a binary normal/disabled logic that is almost ontological in scope, making the validocentric model a reference standard (Probst et al., 2016) that cannot be surpassed" (Issanchou, Perera, 2020, p. 23). Today, however, exceeding it is more than conceivable. If it hadn't been for his crash in the final laps, Benoît T. would have been third overall after two hours of hard fighting. He narrowly missed out on the podium, but made a lasting impression. Through his prowess, this extraordinary driver proves to us all that "no matter what the situation, it's the level that makes the performance".
Getting back on a motorcycle as a PRM: a difficult road to overcome without the solidarity and support of peers
Looking at the process leading up to getting back in the saddle, it's primarily a feeling of "fear", "stress", "apprehension", that emanates from the different discourses. Emmanuel S. uses a metaphor to illustrate the difficulties a paraplegic biker has to overcome: "You see, they put this rafter on the ground, and you have to cross it for 5 meters. That's easy! Beh it's on the ground, it's easy. You put that same rafter 20 meters up, and it's the same difficulty, except that you don't have the right to make a mistake. That's what makes it so complicated. Unable to set foot on the ground, the biker is faced with the fear of falling, of injury. That's what makes the process of getting back in the saddle so complex. All the people we interviewed were motorcyclists before the accident, and have acquired total mastery of the machine. For them, riding a motorcycle is child's play, but without the use of their legs, Emmanuel S. points out that "mentally, it's tough. You're not allowed to fall off". Priolo and Milhabet describe this psychological process as follows: "Engagement in unsafe behavior inhibits the persuasive effects of fear appeals, whereas engagement in safe behavior enhances them" (2008, p. 207).
There is therefore a need for support, and this seems essential when returning to motorcycling after an accident. According to Emmanuel S. Either you're lucky, and you have to admit that you're well surrounded, which isn't the case for everyone. Either you're mentally strong, or both are the best! That's why the PHS association puts in place a personalized and specific support system, to get the person "in condition". A relationship of trust is built up over time. Jean-Pierre R., who has experienced this type of support himself, tells us how he feels: "they explain things to you, they make you feel at ease [...] it gives you confidence". Each member of the PHS mechanics team has his or her own role to play. Laurent T., mechanic in the mechanics department, insists on the safe nature of the sport and adapts the bikes to the needs and specificities of each rider. Benoît T. acts as instructor, passing on his experience as a professional pilot. He's proof that it's possible to get back on a motorcycle. For his part, Emmanuel S. takes on the role of guide and mentally prepares initiates by building up their confidence: "That's kind of my strong point [...] when we do initiations, that's where I like to position myself, that's where I generally manage to find the right words with people. Because I can put myself in their shoes and understand them...". There are also "able-bodied" volunteers who help with the wheelchair/bike transfer for the initiate, and who assist with the departure and reception of the rider. At the same time, family and friends are also present along the way. Their influence can be both beneficial and detrimental to the individual. In fact, some family and friends are against the idea of getting back on a motorcycle and adopt an attitude that does not instill confidence in the initiate. Others, on the other hand, encourage the individual's decision, even going so far as to take part in the initiation with him or her: "The day I got back on, he rode with me, we rode together" (Thomas V. talking about his best friend). In this way, the PHS team creates a climate of trust to ensure the participant's psychological comfort during his or her initiation. Human assistance, in the form of multiple peer-assistance, is therefore added to the technological facilitators to make the experience of getting back on the bike optimal. Above all, a "peer-help" relationship develops between the experienced and the initiated (Durant, 2020, p. 8), in the form of peer interlocutors with multiple, complementary experiences.
Conclusion
Looking at the story of 6 paraplegic men who were able to get back on their bikes thanks to the PHS association, the accident seems to be the breaking point between a man and his passion: motorcycling. It's a personal ordeal that begins, and for Benoît T. it's experienced as "a fight and a challenge". For most of them, the idea of one day getting back on a motorcycle was inconceivable, as Emmanuel S. confides to us: "[...] your motorcycle is a real challenge. Your brain senses what is possible and what is not. [...] Because it was something that was absolutely impossible, but without any debate whatsoever. It was simply impossible. Thomas V. remained hopeful, however, and couldn't let go of his passion: "[...] one day I'd say to myself, thanks to technology, the evolution of equipment and all that, I'd always had it in my head that one day it would be possible". In 2011, Stéphane Paulus, a pioneer of stunt riding in France, made his first runs on a track 13 years after his accident. He became the first paraplegic man to ride a motorcycle in France. An emblematic figure in the sport, he gives new hope to all those with reduced mobility, in the possibility of reconnecting with their passion, buried inside them since the accident.
First and foremost, it is the use of technology that has enabled the adaptation and technical adjustment of the motorcycle. They are all former motorcyclists, paraplegics following an accident, who put their experience and creativity to work to adapt the motorcycle to each specific situation. In this way, technology acts as a facilitator for the accessibility of motorcycle circuits for PRMs. A facilitator which nevertheless requires learning and technical mastery of the two-wheeled machine. Once the individual has acquired the skills required by practice, we speak of incorporation. By incorporating the dynamics of the motorcycle, "he delegates the technical aspect of riding to his bodily automatisms and to the proprioception of the body-motor-environment system [...] Consequently, by becoming one with his motorcycle, the subject will be able to delegate to his subconscious the technical side of the practice, to detach himself slightly from the action and open himself up to the sensations permitted by the environment around him" (Vannier, 2020, p. 11). Nevertheless, getting back on a motorcycle is not so simple; it's a complex process that requires support.
Having been able to get back on a motorcycle, the PHS mechanics team has gained experience on the racetrack that it wants to pass on to the initiated. The complementary nature of Emmanuel S., Benoît T. and Laurent T. makes the experience of getting back on the bike unique. A multiple "peer-help" relationship is created between the initiate and the PHS team. In this way, the association creates a real climate of trust, where the individual is mentally ready to get back on the bike.
It's also the story of riders who fought for their place in their discipline. Many of them have pushed back the limits of a body limited by motorcycling accidents. Benoît Thibal and Stéphane Paulus are proof of this. They have made a name for themselves in the eyes of the general public by achieving extraordinary feats. Their exploits are a source of inspiration, changing the way people think about disability, and above all proving that the unthinkable is possible. We speak of "handi-capable" pilots, leaving behind the limits imposed by their disabilities.
Since 2016, when the PMR Cup was created, the motorcycle discipline has gone from strength to strength. A small group of professional "disabled" riders, including Benoît T. and Stéphane Paulus, have had one idea in mind for several years: to hold a competition with "able-bodied" riders. On August 6, 2022, Benoît T. took part in the Ultimate Cup Moto alongside able-bodied riders. This achievement marks a turning point for the world of motorcycling and disability. There seems to be no limit to how far the sport can evolve. So it's fair to ask: where can motorcycling go from here?
All the introductory courses offered by the PHS association are essentially aimed at PRMs (upper and lower limb amputees, paraplegics, hemiplegics, etc.) who had some experience of motorcycling before the accident. Thanks to Benoît T.'s performance, which has completely overturned the valido-centric model adopted by society, and to future technological advances, the world of motorcycling is taking on a more universalist perspective. The PHS team is constantly expanding the scope of its actions, and publicizes them on their social networks and website. In this way, they are visible to the general public, which contributes considerably to the democratization of motorcycling, and to changing perceptions of disability.
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[1] The Planète Handisport association, aka PHS, is dedicated to introducing disabled people to thrill sports. It is also developing organized trips and unusual activities to offer original experiences adapted to PRMs. Each section is run by experienced staff who enjoy sharing their passion in a relaxed atmosphere. Their activities are shared between sportsmen and sportswomen with disabilities, and participation in courses can be enjoyed alone or with family and friends.
[2] www.pole-mecanique.fr
[3] The Human Development Model - Disability Production Process (HDM-DPP) is a conceptual model that aims to document and explain the causes and consequences of illness, trauma and other impairments to a person's integrity or development. The model applies to all people with disabilities, regardless of the cause, nature or severity of their impairments and disabilities.
[4] The International Network on the Disability Creation Process (INDCP) is an internationally recognized non-profit organization based in Quebec, Canada.(History of the model - INDCP)
[5] Portrait of Stéphane Paulus (2016) published on the website: le repaire des motards.com. Stéphane Paulus: a head full of projects (lerepairedesmotards.com).
[6] The Ultimate Cup Moto is a championship that brings together speed and endurance events on exceptional circuits throughout France.