Recent research by ncat has found that 92% of disabled people we spoke with faced barriers when using at least one mode of transport, with inaccessible streets and pavements being the biggest obstacles in public spaces. Additionally, 77% of respondents said these barriers negatively affected their physical or mental well-being, and 75% reported feeling stressed when travelling.
Interactive Database
To share the findings of this research, and to mark the United Nations International Day for Disabled People, today we are launching an innovative open-source dashboard designed to inform industry professionals and policymakers. This searchable interactive tool provides crucial evidence of the transport challenges disabled people face across the UK.
The open access dashboard showcases the transport experiences of 1,195 disabled people, including members from the Community of Accessible Transport (CAT) panel. Users can search by categories such as access needs, impairment, transport modes, region, gender, and age. The database also includes 1,274 searchable comments from participants about their experiences.
Research output reports
To see the results of the research that underpins this database in full, or to access EasyRead, BSL or large text versions please visit the ‘Understanding and Identifying barriers to accessing transport’ project outputs page linked here
The barriers to streetscape access
Today we are also publishing the outputs from a further piece of research that looked at what barriers disabled people face when using the streets in their localities. Key findings from ‘The barriers to streetscape access project’ delivers evidence from over 400 respondents, including recommendations to:
- Prioritise the maintenance and improvement of pavement surfaces, especially near key locations like GP practices and shops.
- Legislate for the inclusion of disabled people in new street space designs and ensure feedback is acted upon.
- Ensure adequate maintenance of facilities for disabled people to keep them usable.
- Revamp issue reporting to local authorities to improve feedback processing and communication about actions taken.
- Establish an accessible streets ombudsman to ensure proper processing of complaints from disabled individuals.
- Legislate standards for temporary paths and ramps at roadworks, and notify residents of disruptions to aid planning.
- Implement public awareness campaigns to educate the community on disabled people’s needs and promote better behaviours regarding pavement use.
To see the results of the Streetscapes research in full, or to access EasyRead, BSL or large text versions please visit the ‘The barriers to streetscape access’ project outputs page
Both these sets of reports, along with the Transport Barriers Database, as well as other research which will be published over the coming weeks, will be invaluable to potential applicants to ncat’s first funding programme, Scaling Innovation, which is open now for applications.
Evidence from these reports will also be used to guide policy decisions through the Accessible Transport Policy Commission, which was established to be a bridge between ncat and policymakers.
