UK: Top priorities for disabled passengers have been set out by the accessibility Advisory Panel which East West Railway Co established to help inform the design and construction of the future Oxford to Cambridge rail corridor.
The panel’s priorities include:
- accessible toilets on trains and at stations, including Changing Places toilets;
- step-free access to and through stations, including lifts, for people with mobility aids;
- level, unassisted boarding with minimal intervention;
- timetables, information boards and social media content which is accessible for all;
- removing ticket barriers for disabled people, creating ease of access to the platform;
- removing the need to use an app to park — make displaying a Blue Badge sufficient;
- providing space on trains for two wheelchair users to travel together;
- lighting suitable for people with low vision;
- access to station staff who have had full disability training;
- a wide variety of seating styles with armrests.
‘The AAP’s priority issues list will help us better understand barriers to travel and how to overcome them, enabling us to be a beacon for inclusive rail design’, said EWR Co’s Head of Customer Service Delivery Georgina Taylor on April 24.
