This Movement Was Not Imagined.
It Was Experienced.
Wheelie Week was founded by two operators who have lived mobility restriction — permanently and temporarily.
The Story
In 2024, Andrew Hagen
found himself temporarily dependent on a wheelchair for three weeks after an operation.
What he discovered surprised him. Not the big things, but the small ones: a single step at a cafe entrance, a bathroom door too narrow to get through, a footpath that ended without warning.
These weren’t rare obstacles. They were everywhere. And once he saw them, he couldn’t unsee them.
Andrew brought the idea to Mark Elsing
a close friend who lives with permanent disability following a catastrophic stroke.
Mark was not expected to survive. He was not expected to regain speech or movement. He rebuilt his life and has since broken two world records.
Mark had experienced accessibility barriers ever since his stroke, an outspoken advocate for disability outcomes for the benefit of others.
Together, they built Wheelie Week: a structured, scalable campaign that turns temporary experience into lasting understanding – and channels that understanding into evidence, data, and advocacy for real accessibility improvements.
Who
We Are
We are not activists looking for a platform. We are operators building a movement.
Between the founders: 60+ years combined leadership experience. 18+ businesses founded. Large-scale workforce and project delivery. Corporate governance exposure. Capital raising experience. Each a published author.
We have built businesses. We have delivered complex solutions where none existed. We have lived and worked through the barriers.
Why We Are
The Right Team
Accessibility reform often sits between policy and advocacy. We sit between lived experience and execution.
We understand what mobility restriction actually feels like. How built environments are designed and approved. How corporate systems operate. How to govern risk and deploy capital responsibly. How to mobilise people at scale.
This is not a symbolic campaign for us. It is personal. And it is structured for delivery.
Co-Founder
Andrew Hagen
The Managing Director of Lumen Living and works daily within the disability housing sector, having delivered approximately $60 million in Specialist Disability Accommodation.
His temporary wheelchair experience in 2024 was the catalyst for Wheelie Week.
Co-Founder
Mark Elsing
Mark lives with permanent disability following a catastrophic stroke. He rebuilt his life against all expectations and has since broken two world records.
His lived experience and professional background in the disability and housing sector ensure that Wheelie Week remains grounded in the real experiences and priorities of people with disability.
Governance
Wheelie Week Ltd is a registered Australian not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee (ACN 695 125 789). An application for charity registration has been submitted to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
The organisation is governed by a board of directors and operates under formal governance policies.