92% of disabled people face barriers when using transport, says report

ncat has launched an open-source, searchable interactive tool that provides crucial evidence of the transport challenges disabled people face across the UK

Recent research by ncat has found that 92% of disabled people it 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.

ncat is a seven year programme of work, with the core strategy to make future transport accessible for all. The set-up of the Centre is its first delivery action. The future direction of the core of ncat’s work will be kick-started by research and engagement projects undertaken in the first 9 to 18 months.

To share the findings of this research, and to mark the United Nations International Day for Disabled People, ncat has launched 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.

ncat has also published the outputs from a piece of research that looked at what barriers disabled people face when using the streets in their localities. Streetscapes are the pavements, walkways and roads that people use every day. However, street furniture, like outdoor dining, bins, bus stops, and benches all add obstacles and challenges for disabled people.

Plus, with new green transport on the horizon, more furniture will be added to our streetscape, with e-scooters, vehicle charging cables and charging posts. We need to act now, so that we ensure the streetscape remains accessible and inclusive.

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.

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.