Osprey Charging uses art to support Disability History Month
Osprey Charging is supporting UK Disability History Month by displaying an inclusive piece of artwork across 30 of its chargers.
To celebrate UK Disability History Month (16th November – 16th December) and International Day of People with Disabilities (3rd December), Osprey will commission an artist to create an eye-catching piece of artwork which will be made into wraps to be displayed on up to 30 of Osprey’s Tritium 75kW chargers across the UK for two months.
Running until midnight on Sunday 13th November, Osprey is inviting visual artists to submit their designs with an artist’s statement on Instagram or Twitter, tagging Osprey and using the hashtag #OspreyUKDHM. The final design will be revealed on 16th November (the first day of UK Disability History Month) with the winning artist also being paid £1000 by Osprey.
Osprey’s chargers are currently hosting artwork by Kaia Allen-Bevan, a Racial Justice / Anti Racism advocate, in celebration of Black History Month (1st – 31st October) and which challenges the public to learn more about black history and black experiences and act on this all year round.
Prior to this, in July, Osprey showcased artwork by queer illustrator and graphic designer Ben White to celebrate Pride and show its support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging said: “At Osprey we are building an EV charging network for the future that is open to all, and so it’s important for us to show our support for typically under-represented communities. By turning our EV chargers into spaces for artwork we celebrate themes that are suggested by our staff and customers, whilst raising awareness of some important causes and organisations. We look forward to receiving many submissions from talented artists and illustrators in support of Disability History Month and can’t wait for our drivers to see the final design on our chargers later this year.”
Richard Rieser, Coordinator at UK Disability History Month (UKDHM), said: “Despite some improvements, many people still do not view disabled people as fully human. Disability History Month aims to change this by raising awareness of the unequal position of disabled people in society and advocating disability equality. We’re delighted that Osprey is voicing its support for disabled communities and applaud its commitment to making a charging network that is accessible for disabled EV drivers in the UK.”
Earlier this year, Osprey Charging opened its first accessibly designed charging hub at its Paisley Pear site in Buckinghamshire, which received the highest score from independent assessment body ChargeSafe.
ChargeSafe’s accessibility criteria have been developed in line with the forthcoming PAS1899 BSI standard for accessible charging, which is sponsored by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Motability, the Charity. Combined with detailed safety criteria, from lighting and CCTV to nearby facilities and busy-ness, the simple rating system will provide drivers with more informed charging options for day and night.
