Global Youth Coalition Member Feature: Sean Prenter

1. Where are you connected right now? Tell us about the work you're doing.
I’ve just completed an internship with a planning and engineering consultancy, ViaStrada, where I did a case comparison of New Zealand’s transport guidance compared to disability transport best practices in San Fransisco, U.S.A and the U.K. The role involved organizing a cordon count for Dunedun, the city I reside in, writing an economic case for disability investment by local councils, and Geographic Information System (GIS) fieldwork mapping local city urban form accessibility. This opportunity came from my position as Co-President of the National Disabled Students’ Association. 

2. How did you first get involved in road safety and how long have you been working in the road safety and sustainable mobility field?
I was thrilled to see the network advertised by Maryam Alahmar within the UNITE2030 network, a network I joined following an innovation lab in New York. Prior to this, my interest in road safety extends to our primary school cycling proficiency. The grip the issue has had on me has continued throughout my work in disability advocacy over the past 5 years, as well as my study of environmental management.

3. Can you tell us a little about your area's road safety and sustainable mobility situation?
My area of road safety centers on the confrontation of the unconscious bias of policymakers, engineers, and planners around the needs of people with disabilities. This is motivated by the discrepancies that exist in the experiences of persons with disability in transport. By improving input in the policy process I see the transformational potential to reimagine urban inaccessible.

4. Why do you think it's important to include young people in local and global road safety efforts?
I think it’s important to include people with diverse lived experiences in road safety. I think everyone brings their own nuance and any of those nuances have been omitted by the work of previous generations. The particular demographic insight of young people is their ability to reimagine transport networks and offer fresh perspectives-fresh eyes on the puzzle, if you will.

5. Why did you join the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety?
I joined the Youth Coalition to become aware of best practices overseas, to bring disability into the conversation of road safety with more vigor, and to connect with like-minded individuals eager to improve transport outcomes.

6. What are your comments on the Youth Coalition? Its activities? Its opportunities?
I enjoy the newsletters and quizzes-it’s a neat community.

7. Any messages for people who have not yet joined the Youth Coalition?
Join the Youth Coalition. It’s unlikely you’ll regret it. If you do great! Help the network go from strength to strength.