The call for evidence- A Roadmap for Reform- was launched on 7th October 2024 to understand more about how transport policy makes it easier or harder to improve transport accessibility for disabled people in the UK.

The inquiry looks at a range of policy areas and transport services, such as streets and pavements, trains, buses, and travel passes.

The evidence gathered will be used to produce a report that makes recommendations to all levels of government and serves as a ‘roadmap’ to guide future work.

CIHT's response 

CIHT welcomes the opportunity to assist with the production of a policy and regulation roadmap for accessible transport. 

CIHT’s recent report, Creating a Public Realm for All helps transport professionals recognise and respect people’s differences. In the report we are clear that accessibility should be a key consideration from the outset of all projects. The people best placed to outline whether a space is accessible or not are the people for whom it currently or threatens to exclude.  

It is essential that all those responsible for transport delivery are aware of the importance of considering accessibility as early as possible within the design process. It is likewise key to understand that it is far more costly to retrospectively alter schemes that have excluded members of the community, if accessibility is treated as an afterthought or not considered at all. 

Key points highlighted in CIHT’s response include: 

1. Fund disability equality awareness training for all local authority personnel who are designing or changing public spaces in some way. Provision of funding should incentivise disability training by making some of the funding for transport schemes only available to local authorities that have trained staff.
2. Consider accessibility from the outset as it is far easier and more cost effective to integrate and address feedback surrounding accessibility and inclusion early on in the process, rather than reconciling concerns with a near-complete project.
3. Sustained and meaningful engagement: CIHT recommends that transport professionals observe the principles of co-cultivation, namely early engagement with all those with an interest in a proposed project or upgrade, sustained throughout the duration of the project. This approach encourages a shared understanding of the issues faced over the course of the design process and allows everyone with an interest in the project or who could be impacted by it, to work together towards an acceptable solution.

Your professional development 

Exclusive to CIHT members, CIHT Learn offers a wide range of e-Learning courses for those working in the highways and transportation sector to learn more about designing accessible public spaces. 

Available courses include Designing Highways and Transportation for People with Dementia, Understanding Disability and An Introduction to Stakeholder and Public Engagement. 

We will be launching a new course shortly on Cycle Infrastructure Design (LTN 1/20)

Help & Support

If you have any queries, please email technical@ciht.org.uk.