Kate Ball, Wheels for Wellbeing

Meeting Disabled people’s right to timely, convenient transport options

Wheels for Wellbeing is a Disabled People’s Organisation campaigning to ensure Disabled people have access to the physical, emotional, practical and social benefits of cycling. Its vision is that more Disabled people in the UK will have the option to cycle for everyday journeys – transport, leisure or exercise – and cycle routes will be inclusive and accessible.

As Campaigns and Policy Officer, Kate’s starting premise is that 45% of working age disabled people don’t have a driving license, so we’re talking about being able to make journeys at all, rather than mode shift, in quite a lot of places.

In terms of the measures needed to improving disabled access at train stations she said we need train operators to be shouting loudly about the need for pavements outside of stations to be of good quality, about the bus connections working, about taxis, about enough blue badge parking being available, about the routes for everybody, from everywhere, to give Disabled people the right to timely, convenient transport options – which too often we don’t have.

Furthermore we need ticketing and information to be accessible and freely available, that means online in accessible formats, which don’t get disrupted by people’s screen readers or other changes to formatting that many Disabled people will need, or hardcopies. We need access to phonelines and helplines. We need accessible information at stops, ticket offices, where people are available to help, and avoiding touchscreens, where for visually impaired people, those are often impossible to use if they aren’t tactile – including on lifts.

We also need route planning options that are accessible and easy to use. We need signage and staff and with welcoming attitudes. Need to be able to use mobility aids that are practical from end to end and that we can take them on public transport with us. That includes accessible rail replacement buses – too often they are coaches with poor accessibility. Accessible toilets.

Southeastern are doing a trial of tricycles and larger cycle types on trains, and it’s brilliant to see this practice starting and developing. We want to see it happening more quickly and comprehensively across the network.