Ensuring Disabled people are at the heart of decision making

The Transport Accessibility Gap

The Inquiry recognises that people are disabled by the barriers society puts in their way. These barriers stop Disabled people from accessing what they need to live happy and healthy lives. They don’t access essential services like healthcare and food, their opportunities in work and education are unfairly impacted, and social benefits like community and green space can be completely inaccessible.

There’s a requirement on Local Authorities to remove or minimise disadvantages experienced by Disabled people, including walking and wheeling. We know that Local Authorities are working to remove physical barriers from active travel routes, for example, but there’s still a lot of work to do.

While many improvements have been made, barriers are widespread and contribute to a ‘Transport Accessibility Gap’. In the UK, Disabled people take 38% fewer trips across all modes of transport, and in England 30% fewer walking trips.

The Inquiry’s key findings

Many Disabled people in the UK find walking and wheeling challenging. 41% of Disabled people said they often experience problems reaching their destination due to barriers to accessibility. This increased to 55% for those with mobility impairments or learning disabilities. One in three say they often avoid travelling due to fear of negative comments. Our research shows that the transport accessibility gap is exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis.

Most respondents (59%) have reduced the amount they travel due to the rising cost of living, and 52% said the increasing cost of living affects their ability to make essential journeys. Not all Disabled people are impacted equally, with Disabled women, Disabled people of colour and Disabled people on low incomes more likely to face barriers and to have reduced travel due to the cost-of-living crisis. 72% of all UK Disabled people think governments across the UK should do more to make it easier to walk and wheel.

What do Disabled people want?

Many Disabled people in the UK find walking and wheeling challenging. 41% of Disabled people said they often experience problems reaching their destination due to barriers to accessibility. This increased to 55% for those with mobility impairments or learning disabilities. One in three say they often avoid travelling due to fear of negative comments. Our research shows that the transport accessibility gap is exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis.

Most respondents (59%) have reduced the amount they travel due to the rising cost of living, and 52% said the increasing cost of living affects their ability to make essential journeys. Not all Disabled people are impacted equally, with Disabled women, Disabled people of colour and Disabled people on low incomes more likely to face barriers and to have reduced travel due to the cost-of-living crisis. 72% of all UK Disabled people think governments across the UK should do more to make it easier to walk and wheel.

What do Disabled people want?

The Inquiry’s solutions were developed by and tested with Disabled people. They are born out of a recognition that the views of Disabled people are not sufficiently represented. 79% of Disabled people would find a panel of Disabled people to hold local and national government to account about walking and wheeling useful for them to walk or wheel more.

“Having lived experience from people who are likely to be affected is invaluable.”

Disabled people want their government to:

• Create a long-term dedicated pavement fund to maintain and improve pavements. Many pavements are inaccessible, and research suggests pavements in England have been in a cycle of gradual decline. A national pavement fund to maintain and improve pavements would help 79% of disabled people to walk or wheel more.

“It’s very frustrating seeing beautiful smooth roads for cars whilst walking on pavement surfaces that are falling apart. It’s unfair, and I don’t think it needs to be that way.”

• Stop pavement parking and develop guidance to manage clutter. Pavement parking is now common practice which stops Disabled people from being able to pass, or means they have to walk in the road, risking their safety. 73% of Disabled people would find prohibiting vehicles parking on pavements helpful for them to walk or wheel more. In London, it is already banned, and Scotland and Wales are set to do the same.

“Fundamentally, the thing that is so frustrating about pavement parking is this assumption that it is more acceptable to block the footway than it is to block the road.”

• Amend planning guidance to ensure people can live within walking or wheeling distance of services and amenities. Too many new developments are built in unsuitable places for walking and wheeling, and there is a lack of guidance for measuring walking or wheeling.

88% of Disabled people think ensuring essential services are provided within walking or wheeling distance of where people live is useful for them to walk or wheel more. The adoption of the 20-minute neighbourhood concept (or sometimes 15-minute) where the majority of what you need is within a 20-minute return walk or wheel needs to include Disabled people.

All quotations are from participants at the Disabled Citizens’ Inquiry workshops.

The Disabled Citizens’ Inquiry can be found here:
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/research/all-themes/all/disabled-citizens-inquiry/

Sustrans work for and with communities, helping them come to life by walking, wheeling and cycling to create healthier places and happier lives for everyone.
www.sustrans.org.uk