Disabled people deliver stark verdict on public transport at summit with industry leaders
Disabled people warned transport industry leaders the system isn’t working and is getting worse at a summit hosted by the National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT).
The Accessible Transport Summit at Coventry University brought together 200 disabled passengers and industry leaders and decision-makers to shape the future of accessible Transport.
The topic was thrust into the spotlight yet again in recent weeks when Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who chairs NCAT’s Accessible Transport Policy Commission at Westminster, revealed she was forced to crawl off a train at King’s Cross station as no assistance was offered to help her disembark.
One of the speakers at the event at Plexal Stratford in London – Deborah Persaud, co-chair of trustees at Transport for All and NCAT independent Board member – said: “It’s getting to the point where I can’t go out without somebody with me, which is a complete loss of independence. Disabled people can’t be part of the economy and are being excluded from everyday life.”
Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK and keynote speaker said: “Transport isn’t just about getting from A to B. It’s the lifeline to education, employment, social connections and even essential healthcare. It’s the glue that binds together our life choices.
“When transport systems fail to be inclusive, they deny us, disabled people, the fundamental right to live our lives to the fullest. The NCAT summit brought together disabled and non-disabled people, all working towards making all transport options inclusive and accessible to all.”
Key issues discussed during the summit included ensuring disabled people are actively involved in transport decisions from the outset, transport providers’ accountability for making services accessible and behavioural challenges posed by staff and the public, alongside how physical barriers such as parked cars and moveable street furniture such as advertising boards pose the biggest challenges.
One of the key insights shared during the event came from an ncat survey which asked 1,195 disabled people across the UK about the issues they experience when travelling. 59 per cent of respondents stated that street obstacles were the primary barrier to accessible transport.
Other speakers included Caroline Stickland, CEO of Transport for All, and Simone West, Inclusive Design Manager for Transport for London, Catherine Cobb, Traffic Signals Design Engineer at Amey, Anna Landre, researcher and activist, Michael Edwards, Director of Innovation at Connected Places Catapult, Phil Barham of Access Association, Jaya Varsani, Programme Manager at Motability Foundation, and Damian Bridgeman, entrepreneur and campaigner.
Paul Herriotts, Centre Director at NCAT, commented “We understand that for many the barriers and challenges faced by disabled people using transport are well-known. What NCAT will do is pull together all the existing evidence and carry out new research to show transport providers and policy makers the art of the possible when disabled people are front and centre in creating accessible transport solutions.
Kamran Mallick concluded: “Disabled people came as individuals, representing organisations and from disabled people’s organisations. NCAT has laid the foundations to ensure that the lived experience of all disabled people is central to its work, its intention to work collaboratively, bringing research, knowledge and innovation to tackle the barriers that disabled people face with mobility and Transport.”
