Autodesk University 2026 · Keynote Companion
The Missing Layer
You just heard the story on stage. Here is the same six beats, in numbers, so you can bring it back to your team.
Download the one page brief (PDF)The Six Beats
1. 36 years of access, still no power
The ADA turned 36 this year, guaranteeing access to the built environment. Access without power isn’t independence. It’s a stall waiting to happen. Nationally, zero U.S. cities run an intelligent, networked public charging system for powered mobility devices.
2. Who we are, why it isn’t a future problem
3.3 million Americans use a powered mobility device today, plus 39.8 million family caregivers living the ripple with them. 78.9 million Americans are already 60 and older. By 2030 the U.S. 65+ population grows 14.2% to 71.6 million, roughly one in five Americans. Powered mobility use already climbs sharply with age.
3. We built it for cars, not for this
San Francisco alone runs 1,100+ public EV charging ports, up 470% since 2019, proof the electrical and permitting pathway already exists. That same intelligence has never reached powered mobility devices. Scattered hardware exists, but it’s hardware, not a network. There is no way to find, reserve, or monitor a station.
4. The five mile leash
Electric wheelchairs run 8 to 20 miles per charge and take 8 to 14 hours to fully recharge. A dead battery in public isn’t an inconvenience. It’s a stranding. 62% of wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries need a repair within six months of getting their device, and 27.4% of those experience a direct adverse consequence as a result.
5. What happens when you miscalculate
Traffic collisions cause 32 to 37% of severe injuries to powered mobility device users, often because damaged sidewalks force riders into the road. In severe injury cases, mortality jumps to 9.2%, compared with 0.7% for mild or moderate cases. People with disabilities also face a 1.33 times relative risk of heat related hospitalization, the same heat that drains battery range fastest.
6. The missing layer
This is the layer Well‑Able Platforms is building: CalebXCharge, a first of its kind universal charging network for powered mobility devices, designed to connect with existing smart city systems. The market is ready. Closing the disability employment gap could add $25B to U.S. GDP.
“If your car runs out of battery, you get out and walk. If you’re in a power chair, that anxiety multiplies exponentially.”
The Ask
Look past the limits of current design standards.
Let’s design power mobility into the same blueprint as every other form of connected transportation, starting now.
- Public agencies
- Hardware partners
- Software teams
- Infrastructure leaders
- City decision makers