Lizzi Jordan MBE, a Paralympic gold medalist, is leading a campaign to eliminate VAT on tandem bicycles purchased by people with visual impairments.
Jordan, who is blind, secured Paralympic gold in the women’s tandem 1km time trial together with her pilot Danni Khan. Her impressive career also includes six world titles, four world championship medals, and a bronze medal representing Team England at this summer’s Commonwealth Games.
At 28 years old, Jordan lost her sight at age 19 following complications from an illness that left her in a coma and on life support for eight weeks. Her para-cycling journey began when she attended a British Cycling Talent ID event.
Pursuing Equal Access to Affordable Bicycles
Jordan aims to leverage her public profile to guarantee that every blind and visually impaired individual across the UK “has equal access to something as basic as more affordable bicycles.”
She describes the campaign as offering the government a practical, cost-effective, and highly visible chance to enhance disability inclusion throughout the United Kingdom.
“This is a fairness issue. It is an accessibility issue. And it is an opportunity for the Government to make a meaningful change,” she states.
According to British Cycling, existing legislation “discriminates against visually impaired people” by failing to classify tandems as adaptive bicycles, since they are not used solely by individuals with disabilities.
The organization adds, however, that officially recognizing tandems as adaptive bicycles would “improve access to exercise, travel, social inclusion and physical and mental wellbeing for visually impaired people up and down the country.”
Research conducted in 2025 by the Royal National Institute of Blind People revealed that blind and partially sighted adults of working age are approximately half as likely to hold paid employment compared to non-disabled individuals.
Additionally, Sport England reports that disabled people are “almost twice as likely” to lead physically inactive lives.
A Social Impact That Could Be “Transformative”
Jordan contends that the financial consequences of reclassifying tandems as adaptive bicycles would be “minimal.” Data from Orbit Tandems LTD, England’s biggest tandem bicycle supplier, indicates the cost would be around £26,000 annually. Despite this, Jordan emphasizes that “the social impact would be transformative.”
“I urge the Government to please formally recognise standard tandem bicycles purchased by visually impaired individuals as adaptive bicycles with regards to the VAT exemption,” she appeals.
“I would welcome a meeting with you and your team to discuss this important issue, and opportunity, in more detail.”
Steve Darling, the MP for Torbay, commented: “The current rules, meaning that tandem bikes are not recognised as adaptive cycles, make little sense.
“We need to encourage people with disabilities to stay active rather than making specialist equipment more expensive. I hope that the Chancellor sees this error and reverses it at the budget.”
The initiative has garnered backing from multiple organizations, such as the Bicycle Association, British Blind Sport, ParalympicsGB, and Cycling UK.
