Posts by James Davidson

Changing Places Facility Opens at Glasgow Queen Street Station

A fully accessible Changing Places toilet facility is now available at Glasgow’s Queen Street station. The Changing Places toilet, created as part of Network Rail’s £120m redevelopment at the station, has now been officially registered by Changing Places UK. Changing Places toilets aim to help those with profound disabilities or with physical disabilities, such as spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis, to use toilets safely and comfortably. Queen Street now joins 1,633 facilities mapped on Changing Places UK’s website to help more than 230,000 people who are unable to use standard accessible toilets. It’s hoped the facility will give those
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Online Event: Lothian Buses and MS Society – Driving Accessibility Standards

Lothian Buses and the MS Society are hosting an online event to discuss and influence accessibility standards on Wednesday 1 September, 18:00 – 19:15. Lothian Buses are committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment in which disabled individuals, families and anyone with addition access needs can feel confident and safe. The company acknowledge that accessing the community after this pandemic will be an anxious time for many people, most of all those who have been shielding for much of the last 18 months. Over the next 12 months isolation will be at an all-time high and as a public
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Electric Vehicle Charge Points: Have Your Say on Accessibility

The Scottish Government has published a new consultation on electric vehicle charge points. They are seeking views on the installation of charge points, and the enabling infrastructure, in car parking spaces for new residential and non-residential buildings. This is an opportunity to have your say on how to make electric vehicle charging points more accessible for disabled people. Why? The Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan update (CCPu), published last December, set out the pathway to meet Scotland’s statutory greenhouse gas emission reduction targets by 2032. This includes an aim to phase out of the need for new petrol and diesel
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New Guide Encourages Councils to Make Streets More Accessible

The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) has produced new guidance encouraging councils to use active travel funding to improve access to make streets more accessible for disabled people. The guidance, titled “Small Changes can make a Big Difference”, suggests a range of simple improvements which councils can introduce to make walking and wheeling easier and more accessible – such as installing dropped kerbs, removing pavement clutter and improving pedestrian crossings. Barriers to cycle ways, bus stops and access to green space could also be removed. David Hunter of MACS said: “For many people, the most important active travel opportunities are those on
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Return to Public Transport, Thursday 19 August, from 1:30pm-3:00pm

Join Disability Equality Scotland on Thursday 19 August, from 1:30pm-3:00pm as we host a webinar discussion on the return to public transport. The recent publication from the Scottish Household Survey presents transport and travel findings, which shows that disabled people tend to make fewer journeys and were generally less positive about their public transport experiences than people who were not-disabled. As COVID-19 restrictions ease further, we want to hear from you about your thoughts and concerns about returning to public transport. During the webinar representatives from different modes of transport will explain what disabled passengers can expect from their service and what
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Disability and Transport: Findings from the Scottish Household Survey

A new report published by Transport Scotland outlines disabled people’s travel patterns based on the findings of the Scottish Household Survey. There are a number of key findings which highlight the differences in travel for disabled people compared with non-disabled people. The report found that disabled people make fewer journeys (an average of 1.63 journeys per day vs 2.07) and travel shorter distances compared to non-disabled people (3.2km vs 4.5km). Disabled adults are more likely to use the bus than non-disabled adults (11% of journeys vs 7%), less likely to drive (42% vs 54%), and more likely to be a
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Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework – Annual Delivery Plan 2021-22

Transport Scotland has published the latest Annual Delivery Plan for Scotland’s Accessible Travel Framework, a ten-year plan launched in 2016 to improve travel access for disabled people. At Disability Equality Scotland, we will be working with Transport Scotland to deliver some of the key actions featured in the Delivery Plan. This includes continued engagement with our members through our webinars and weekly polls. We will also continue  to update the Accessible Travel Hub with the latest information and guidance produced by transport providers across Scotland in order to make public transport more accessible and inclusive for disabled people. Download the
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MACS Publish Annual Report

The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) has published their Annual Report 2020-2021. The Committee provide advice on aspects of policy, legislation and practice affecting the travel needs of disabled people. MACS have worked hard to ensure the views and needs of disabled people have been considered in travel guidance and mitigating measures throughout the pandemic. Download the MACS Annual Report, which is also available in Easy Read: https://bit.ly/3AkXyKY
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New Report Finds Public Transport is Too Expensive

Anti-poverty campaigners have called for action to make Scotland’s transport system more affordable, after a new report found that Scotland’s transport system is too often tightening the grip of poverty on people’s lives. Conducted by the Poverty Alliance and commissioned by Transport Scotland, the report found that public transport was essential for people living on low incomes in terms of accessing employment, as well as vital services such as childcare and education. But the research – based on interviews and focus groups with parents, carers and young people from low-income families – also found that the cost of public transport
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Watch: Improving Traveline Services Webinar

We hosted a webinar discussion on accessible journey planning and improving the Traveline Scotland service. Transport Scotland is working with Traveline Scotland to understand what changes should be made to improve the travel planning information and associated services currently made available via the Traveline Scotland website and app services. Transport Scotland are engaging various stakeholders ranging from transport operators to Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and public transport related bodies, and are keen to understand what accessibility related information you think should be made available to help you better plan your travel journey across modes of transport including bus, rail,
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