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 the first ever Accessible Transport Summit.

The summit, hosted by the National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT), brought together 200 disabled passengers and industry leaders and decision-makers to shape the future of accessible transport.

NCAT is a consortium funded by the Motability Foundation and led by Coventry University, which also comprises Connected Places Catapult, Designability, Policy Connect, Research Institute for Disabled Consumers and WSP UK.

It aims to make transport accessible for all by engaging with disabled people to better understand their experiences and co-design solutions and is led by Professor Paul Herriotts, from Coventry University’s Research Centre for Future Transport and Cities.

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.”

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% 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, activist and NCAT independent board member, 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, campaigner and NCAT independent board member. The event was facilitated by Lucy Farrow, partner at Thinks Insight & Strategy.

Find out more about NCAT.