On December 3, the United Nations International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) we wanted to celebrate a NSW group working in the adaptive cycling space.
Freedom Solutions Australia is a leading provider and designer of customised and specialist equipment for people living with disability. Previously known as Technical Aid to the Disabled (TAD), Freedom Solutions has been working with the same goal for 50 years.
From a handful of volunteers to an interstate operation, the organisation has built and scaled solutions that didn’t exist previously.
To this day, 54,000 pieces of equipment have been made. Each one with the capacity to significantly improve someone’s life.
Freedom Wheels is one of the organisation’s flagship programmes. It was established in 2001 to provide a range of adaptive bikes and trikes for children and adults.
After meeting the team at the Source Disability Expo, Bicycle NSW Membership Coordinator, Yvonne Poon, was invited to attend Freedom Solutions’ 50th anniversary event at its NSW headquarters in Northmead, Sydney.
“It was a lovely opportunity to learn more about the history of the organisation, and meet the range of volunteers working behind the scenes” says Yvonne.
“It was great to see the huge workshops and discover all the different ways that volunteers can support Freedom Solutions with not just the engineering side, but also with admin, courier drivers, and even gluing and painting.”
Bicycle NSW Membership Coordinator, Yvonne Poon, with volunteers at Freedom Solutions in Northmead, Sydney (Image: Bicycle NSW)
The history
The founding years of the organisation, during the 1970s, were focused on innovation and engineering, forged by volunteers who were skilled in developing assistive equipment and technology. In their first year, the NSW and VIC teams delivered over 370 projects, with a strong emphasis on making telephones more accessible.
Then in 1975, Technical Aid to the Disabled (TAD) was formally established as a charity. You might remember seeing TAD riders opening previous Spring Cycle rides in Sydney.
Over the last three decades, thousands of projects have been completed - from creating custom seating to making adaptive equipment for schools and recreation.
Celebration of 50 years at the Open House event
The November 2025 event commemorated five decades of innovation, and included special awards for volunteers who have made exceptional contributions over this period. Yvonne was pleased to see Marco Colli, a volunteer she met at the Source Expo, receive an award for his volunteer work.
Marco Colli, the proud recipient of the Freedom Solutions Community Spirit Award (Image: Bicycle NSW)
The event reflected upon the community’s ability to drive and sustain impactful work, as well as define the purpose of the organisation. In their words: delivering personalised assistive technology that enables people with disability to experience greater freedom, independence, and participation in everyday life.
Freedom Wheels
The mantra of the flagship programme is simple: everyone deserves to ride a bike.
The programme has dedicated 25 years to providing custom modifications, allowing individuals who cannot ride standard bikes to experience the joys of bicycle riding.
Freedom Wheels has developed sixty adaptive modifications to suit specific individual needs. From foot and postural support, to provide help with pedalling, to additional steering capabilities for carer assistance.
The Northmead HQ showcases the organisation’s innovation with a range of adaptive options for both children and adults (Image: Bicycle NSW)
Freedom Wheels offer more than 60 adaptive modifications to suit individual needs (Image: Bicycle NSW)
The program has a long list of trial days where people can try out a wide range of bikes, trikes and support options. It also offers online consultations to discuss individual goals and explore custom-made equipment.
And a collaboration with EveryBody eBikes means that an even bigger selection of adaptive e-bikes and electric trikes is now available. Bicycle NSW’s 2024 article Bikes for freedom, independence and connection explored EveryBody eBikes’ dedication to inclusive cycling
Contact for more information
If you have any questions about inclusive cycling, or finding an adaptive solution, please reach out to Freedom Wheels.
Bicycle NSW’s Inclusive Cycling page has further information and links, as well as stories about lives transformed by Freedom Wheels and its partners.
