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Movability Inc. (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Transportation
└ Engaging people in transportation options/safety
└ Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Older adults in Austin faced mobility challenges and rising isolation, often relying on costly ride-hailing or limiting outings. Movability hosted Mobility Camps and Lunch & Learns where participants practiced using buses, learned trip-planning apps and enrolled in reduced-fare programs. Participants received toolkits and hands-on experience with transit and carpooling. One camp took participants to the historic Driskill Hotel, where they shared holiday photos and made new friends. Participants report feeling more confident using transit for errands and appointments.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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See More Projects Like This One
Jackson, MS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: This project will enhance mobility, digital literacy, and public spaces for older adults. The initiative includes accessible transportation solutions, technology training, and park improvements.
Batavia, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: Local officials and community organizations hoped to increase pedestrian and bicycle traffic in downtown Batavia. To do this, the Batavia Environmental Commission, Batavia Bicycle Commission, the WellBatavia Initiative and Batavia Maitreet undertook a research and promotional campaign. They hosted a walk and bike audit that taught residents urban biking skills, such as how to load a bike onto a public bus. The initiative then paired participants with residents of a local retirement community, as well as with families with small children, to help them learn about biking. The group produced a 15-minute video documentary presenting the town's history, showcasing its pedestrian and bike infrastructure and highlighting the need for future improvements. In 2022, Batavia announced it would create a bicycle and walking plan to improve city trails and make intersections safer.
Jackson, WY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: To make its car-oriented downtown more pedestrian-friendly, the Town of Jackson held a design workshop to test ideas for improvements to the town square. Held at a local senior center, the workshop allowed town staff to show older residents photos of downtown and get their feedback. The Town then incorporated suggestions from the workshop at a Park(ing) Day event. They converted a parking space into a parklet with outdoor furniture, planters and bike racks. In addition, they offered trishaw rides around the square during the event and for a few weeks afterwards. Town staff interviewed older adults at the event, asking about ways to make downtown more walkable. Organizers then reported what they heard to the town council to inform future improvements. Project organizers say the workshop and Park(ing) Day event built relationships with older adults, which will help keep them involved in the community design process going forward.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: Along one stretch of an urban trail, users encountered a space that offered little reason to stop, reflect or connect with the area's past. BikeTexas addressed this by installing a large, multi-panel mural that depicts the neighborhood's early railroad history and the people who shaped it. Community members, including older adults, helped review the design, and professional artists completed the work as a highly visible landmark along the trail. The mural turned an overlooked segment into a place where older adults can pause, walk more comfortably and engage with local history rather than simply pass through. It also added a shared point of interest that encouraged conversation and repeat visits. One trail user said the artwork brightened her regular walks and changed how the space felt, reinforcing the mural's role as a welcoming destination along the trail.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Austin, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Disaster Preparedness
Description: Meals on Wheels Central Texas addressed gaps in disaster preparedness that left many older adults unsure how to respond to emergencies, even as nearby flooding underscored the risks. The project hosted preparedness events at congregate sites, pairing simple first aid and disaster pre-planning with familiar activities such as trivia and bingo to keep learning approachable. Participants received checklists in English and Spanish and assembled home safety kits with essentials like flashlights, batteries and thermal items. One participant said the sessions helped her focus on practical steps after flooding affected her family, noting that thinking through small details made a difference. Attendance increased and requests for more learning followed, prompting the organization to embed preparedness education into regular gatherings so skills continue beyond one-time events.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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