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John Grant   25/08/2017 at 19:55

There's more to the DDA than step-free access, of course. Better access to working toilets of any kind would be a good idea (Crossrail please note), but the conditions that make that important are mostly too embarrasing to talk about so they get ignored.

John Boler   25/08/2017 at 19:56

It is anomalous that the railway regulations require all trains to be fully accessible by 2020 but there is no parallel requirement for disabled passengers to be able to board (and alight from) those trains unaided at any station where they call. Once again the government is shirking its responsibility to ensure all stations have step-free access. A condition should be applied to all rail franchises, when renewed, that requires the train operator to instal step-free access at all its stations during the period of the franchise. Why should big railway businesses be excused the equality obligations that apply to big businesses in other sectors of the economy?

Merry   30/08/2017 at 12:27

Indeed - as John mentions, there is more thatn step-free access. For instance, the largest single disability group is the hearing impaired, a 'hidden' disability, and rarely mentioned when acecssibility is discussed. E.g. provision of effective and standard compliant hearing loops (and not just ineffective token installs) wherever there are announcements or spoken communication, accurate written information, effective training of staff... (and how much this applies to other disabilities too, I wonder?)... Looking at accessibility as a whole, I wonder how poor the result might be if someone like the liveability foundation came to audit the railway as a whole? I don't see the rail industry meeting the 'gold standard' for a very long time at their current rate and attitude!

Joel   03/10/2017 at 14:32

And (related to an earlier disparaged comment I made in another segment) the ability to buy fares and cross ticket gatelines without discrimination. Many older and some disabled people can't reach, let alone understand or use Ticket Vending Machines, same for electronic ticketing on smartphones. While those technologies MIGHT being benefits to a great number, they are not a universal travel panacea. Why should those through no fault of their own have to rely on a third party just to acquire a fair fare? Trains are for all, so fares should be too, and that means being able to acquire them.