Ryan Lloyd, Editor of Tomorrow’s FM, spoke to The Stair Climbing Company to establish how we can make public transport more accessible for all.
One of the things many non-disabled people take for granted is an ability to use public transport. As Gordon McCullough, CEO of Research Institute for Disabled Consumers, notes in a recent Innovate UK KTN report: “Ask disabled people and their families what accessible transport means, and you will get a list of compromises, barriers and restrictions that make leaving their homes a challenge. Accessible and inclusive transport for disabled people is a compromise, not a choice.”
For example, did you know 40% of UK train stations are not accessible? Because of this, it is estimated that up to 40% of working aged people with disabilities struggle to travel by train. But it goes beyond just working life. The lack of access to the most basic services in this country stops people living their lives to the fullest; by not being able to get places, people even miss out of the basic necessity of wanting and needing to socialise with others.
We hear it everywhere on the news, X, formerly known as Twitter, and the radio: there are broken promises about improving access for the disabled – and it’s not only that we’re more astute to it because our business deals with this day-to-day.
In the last three years alone, there have been promises to make all trains in the UK accessible for all disabled passengers. Unfortunately, it appears this idea was shelved and there has been no penalty to the country’s rail operators.
To combat these issues with accessibility, we must first understand how to measure it – and where the issues lie.
So, how do we measure accessibility? There are 15 ways that National Rail Enquiries (NRE) measure accessibility. One of these is whether the station has ‘step free access’ (such as ramps and lifts throughout the station). In London, only 44% of train stations and a third of tube stations have ‘step-free access’. We are determined to change this. It is our mission to strive for 100% access for all disabled visitors. Everywhere.
How do we create ‘step free access’? We want to shout that we have the perfect solution – one that works no matter the type of transport, vehicle, building, or venue.
Our stair climber is a mobile, battery-operated device. It helps people with reduced mobility go up and down stairs. It’s easily stored and easily transported – so every train station in the UK would be able to offer ‘step free access’.
Not only that, but it’s a cost-effective solution that can be implemented immediately – with minimal disruption to other passengers and no adaption of buildings required.
The stair climber remains an unknown solution to many public and private transportation so please join us in raising awareness of the simple solution that could provide disabled people with access to all facilities from historic buildings to trains and planes and hospitality events. After all, we have a duty to provide equal access for all no matter where we go.How are we increasing step free access across the UK? We’ve been working across different industries; hundreds of public buildings and world heritage sites are being made accessible with our stair climbers.
One of our clients, in Bath, has a world heritage site that is over 2,000 years old – yet with our help, they’ve managed to achieve full accessibility.
We have been working with the National trust for a number of years to support their facilities and estate teams to provide access for all at a number of sites. This has enabled them to open up previously inaccessible floors, rooms and buildings to disabled visitors and those less mobile. We also have stair climbers on all nine of the carnival cruise fleet to provide access on the gangways. Galway passenger ferries and Newcastle Tyne tunnel are just to name few.
Would you like to know more about our services? Book a visit to your venue or site by visiting our website. We offer a free venue site assessment as we know our stair climber is paving the way to a more accessible future.
It’s time the world became a more accessible place.
