Archives for News and Blog

PAMIS – The Pamiloo

PAMIS (Promoting A More Inclusive Society) is the leading Scottish charity for the Changing Places Toilet Campaign. There are an increasing number of people who require this facility  – a twelve square metre room with specialist equipment such as a tracking hoist, an adjustable height changing bench and a peninsular toilet. PAMIS have been campaigning for over 10 years for this facility and although over the past 2 years there has been a sharper increase there are still only 160 across Scotland. This means that many people who require this facility in order to meet their personal care needs are being
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Transport Scotland Survey – Connectivity

In May 2017, Scottish Disability Equality Forum conducted a national survey on behalf of Transport Scotland.  This was a baseline survey to allow us to gather information about disabled peoples’ experiences of travelling on public transport.  The survey gave us lots of useful information, and some that we want to find out more about. As part of our ongoing work with Transport Scotland we are undertaking further research. Here is a short survey about Connectivity.  Connectivity is about your experience of changing between different types of transport.  It also includes journey planning and the timetabling of services so that people
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Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance (SATA) questionnaire – For users of Taxis or Private Hire Cars with wheelchair or/and a helping dog.

The following questionnaire has been created by the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance (SATA) to gather information on the accessiblity of taxis and private hire cars. The survey should be completed only by those who use taxis or private hire cars AND a helping dog or a wheelchair (or both). To complete the survey, please click the following link https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9GLGGV5  
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Scotrail Rail Awareness Open Days

Scotrail have hosted Rail Awareness Open Days in Aberdeen, Glasgow Queen Street, Glasgow Central, Dundee and Edinburgh Waverley and proved popular with disabled people, elderly and those with other mobility impairments including charities. Rail Awareness Open Day is an information event to promote what we do to existing and potential rail users with reduced mobility or simply those who need assistance with their journeys. It provides a learning opportunity to those with reduced mobility on the level of service available and the support they can receive from ScotRail when planning and undertaking their journey by train. It is important that
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Shared Spaces Seminar 2017

The Shared Space Seminar took place in Edinburgh on 25 April 2017. It was attended by a range of delegates representing disabled person’s organisations, local authorities, planners, and street designers. The purpose of the seminar was to discuss shared spaces from a range of perspectives, including disabled people and public authorities responsible for designing and maintaining streets. The aim was to agree on how future shared space schemes could be designed to ensure access for all. Following a series of presentations, workshop discussions took place. Delegates talked about their experiences of shared spaces, the features that determine a shared space,
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Would you like to appear on The One Show?

The One Show is making a film looking at some of the issues disabled people face when using public transport including trains, trams, buses, taxis, the tube and planes. The One Show is looking for people to record short videos on their phones or cameras when they encounter a problem; for example no help getting off transport (even though pre-booked); accessible toilets being out of order, luggage being left in spaces for wheelchair users or ‘talking’ signposts or buses not working etc. Anyone interested in finding out more or sending a video can contact Laura Pennington on 0161 335 8902
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Scottish Transport Awards 2017- One Week to go!

There is just one week to go until the Scottish Transport Awards 2017! The Accessible Travel Hub has been shortlisted in three categories: Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing Excellence in Technology and Innovation Accessibility Project of the Year Now in its 15th year, the prestigious Scottish Transport Awards 2017 brings together the transport community to recognise and celebrate industry achievements across Scotland. Supported by the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland, this year’s ceremony will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow on 15th June 2017. Roy Brannen, Chief Executive, Transport Scotland on the Scottish Transport Awards: “These
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WEEKLY POLL: Accessible Taxis

Each week the Scottish Disability Equality Forum allow you to have your say on a number of different topics affecting disabled people in Scotland. The poll is a simple yes/no question, along with the opportunity to leave a comment on the chosen topic. This week’s poll question is about accessible taxis and whether a new law to reduce discrimination is being followed. On April 6 2017, a new law was introduced to impose penalties on taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) drivers refusing to pick up wheelchair users. According to this law taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) drivers have to: • transport
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Accessible Travel Framework Surveys

              Scottish Disability Equality Forum is working with Transport Scotland to undertake research into Accessible Travel.  In September 2016, Transport Scotland published Scotland’s first Accessible Travel Framework.  This is a new plan, co-produced with disabled people to help improve their access to travel. Transport Scotland has a vision that all disabled people can travel with the same freedom, choice, dignity and opportunity as others. Our research involves gathering the views of disabled people on how you find travelling on public transport just now, and how Transport Scotland’s work to apply the framework can best
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Personal Independence Payment (PIP) leaving disabled people stranded

            Motability, the charity which runs the support scheme for vehicles, recently revealed more than 50,000 people have had their cars reclaimed since Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was launched in 2013, replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Alex Thorburn, a Director of the Scottish Disability Equality Forum, believes the move away from the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is leaving vulnerable people stranded. Please note that the views expressed by Alex do not necessarily reflect the views of the Scottish Disability Equality Forum. “The new PIP system can see adapted vehicles removed within 10 days of people
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