Our new report ‘Equipping Councils for Change, published today, highlights the urgent need for reform in local governments’ approach to accessibility.
Key findings from our UK-wide survey of local government transport staff reveal:
- Limited funding is the biggest barrier to accessible transport, with 32% rating it a 10/10 issue.
- Retrofitting accessibility features into existing services is another major challenge.
- Lack of staff time and expertise further complicates efforts.
Clive Gilbert, our lead researcher, states: “Building an accessible and inclusive transport system requires adequate funding and empowering local government staff with high-quality training, good practice standards, and the voices of disabled people in decision-making.”
What Happens Now?
We urge the government to create a single website for local government transport staff and disabled people to access regulations, guidance, and resources for making transport accessible.
For local and regional authorities to assess their organisational readiness, including reviewing whether their authority employs officers with a dedicated accessibility role and that they have the necessary resources and backing from their leaders to do their jobs.
Together, we can provide local governments with the tools and best practices they need to make transport accessible for all.
Further Reading
To read more about key findings you can find the full report and also a highlights version published here on the website: Equipping Councils for Change – National Centre for Accessible Transport
We have also published BSL, Easy Read, Large Print, and Word versions of the highlights report.
To read Clive Gilbert’s Op-Ed about the report head to Public Finance Magazine here: Local government needs to be equipped to make transport accessible | Public Finance
For further information on how local councils are addressing the accessibility gap you can search our Resource Collection and read this report: The Barriers to Streetscape Access
