Feeling safe to travel and get around is essential if we are going to realise our rights and achieve our potential. That is why NorthLink Ferries and Disability Equality Scotland, with support from the Transport Scotland Ferries Accessibility Fund, are partnering to improve the experiences of disabled people onboard. We will be working together to ensure that disabled people have safe and inclusive journeys. An important part of this is making sure that people know how to report any abuse or mistreatment. This project builds on the success of the launch of the national Hate Crime Charter, which aims to
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Watch Disability Equality Scotland host a webinar discussion on the return to public transport. As restrictions ease even further, disabled people shared their thoughts and concerns about returning to public transport. During the webinar representatives from ScotRail, First Bus and NorthLink Ferries explained what disabled passengers can expect from their service and what measures are in place to keep passengers safe. This was a great opportunity to highlight what can be done to ensure disabled people feel confident and supported throughout their return to public transport. The webinar was recorded live on Thursday 19 August 2021 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm,
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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