Accessing appropriate transport is a challenge felt widely in the disability community despite it being key to providing people with the freedom to build an independent and inclusive life.

While car share services continue to grow, people living with a disability are limited to taxis equipped for wheelchairs, some public transport or specialist vehicles that are a huge expense for the average family.

So where does the disabled community fit into this rapidly growing car share industry?

It’s a question Peter Hojgaard-Olsen and his son, Philip who lives with muscular dystrophy have been asking for some time, ultimately driving them to reach out to car sharing service GoGet, proposing they expand their fleet of vehicles to include a wheelchair-friendly option.

“By the time Philip was 12 he needed to get a wheelchair. Obviously, being in the disability environment we quickly realised that lots of people had compromised their ability to make money by caring for their family members -- which makes it very difficult to afford transport,” Peter Hojgaard-Olsen told The Huffington Post Australia.

Fast-forward 18 months and GoGet took its first step in creating a more inclusive offering by launching a world first fully accessible car sharing vehicle as part of a healthcare network on Tuesday.

Launched at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital, the eight-seater Kia Carnival has a hydraulic floor and is equipped to accommodate a wide range of wheelchairs.

The pilot vehicle will initially be based at the hospital, enabling family members and carers to utilise the vehicle to and from doctor’s appointments, with plans to roll out the model nationally should it prove successful, starting with 20 cars in Sydney.