Almost half of British adults have admitted they have concerns that using current styles of mobility aids could impact on their professional image in the workplace.

According to the survey of 1,003 British adults, commissioned to mark the launch of RELYNC [1], the world's first smart mobility scooter, which is aimed to change the face of mobility devices, as many as 47% would be concerned about using current models of mobility scooter in the workplace, out of fears it could impact on their professional image.

Indeed, as many as 1 in 3 (31%) British adults believe there is currently a social stigma attached to using these types of devices to get around.

In fact, almost a quarter (23%) believe that this would affect how employable they are perceived to be.

And 1 in 6 (17%) admitted they would be concerned that they would be considered less hard-working than those not reliant on these types of devices.

Ellen Zha, global sales director at RELYNC [2] commented: "Mobility issues can affect people of all ages and levels of fitness and can encompass everything from sports or DIY injuries, to arthritis or even pain caused by injuries such as breakages earlier on in life. For the most part, unless you are working in a manual position, they won't affect the mind or our abilities to do our jobs, and so this shouldn't be something that workers are ashamed of. And yet clearly there are some negative - and actually unfounded - connotations to using these devices.

"But this needn't be the case. Firstly, companies need to be clear about their inclusion policies and management need to set an example by demonstrating a welcoming and positive attitude towards those who do use mobility devices, for whatever reason it might be. And crucially, more needs to be done to change the design and image of mobility devices."

The research also highlighted that that mobility devices are more likely to be accepted in practical situations, for example, when shopping or going to the airport rather than in social or professional situations.

RELYNC Tech LTD is a high-tech company focused on integrating the latest in smart technology with mobility and urban lifestyle vehicles, to combine functionality with style and fun. 

The business' vision is to create whole new riding experiences which mix functionality, stunning design, safety and fun, to transform the way people travel - and feel while doing so - forever. 

For more information and to purchase RELYNC, visit www.relync.com [3]