A 10-year blueprint aimed at improving access to transport for disabled people has been launched by the Scottish Government.
Transport minister Humza Yousaf said the Accessible Travel Framework would make it “easier for those with a disability to travel”.
Disabled people, disability organisations, transport operators and the Scottish Government worked on the plan for two years before it was launched in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Key parts of the action plan include creating common standards of service for disabled people if their public transport journeys are disrupted and looking at training requirements covering hidden disabilities and basic British Sign Language phrases.
Other actions involve producing information about bus layout designs which improve accessibility, identifying specific changes and how they benefit people with different impairments.
Mr Yousaf said: “It’s important for us to confirm the commitment to making it easier for those with a disability to travel. The actions in this new framework will help achieve this.
“There’s already a lot going on to make travel in Scotland more accessible for disabled people – such as our commitment to concessionary travel and ensuring accessibility in the design and operation of our rail and ferry franchises – and this framework will build on that good work.
“One of the big things disabled people have said is that they don’t want just to be consulted as an afterthought about accessibility on transport.
“This framework has been developed both for and with disabled people, meaning we’ve put disabled people’s ideas and views at the heart of the process.”
Jane Horsburgh, policy manager for Guide Dogs Scotland, welcomed the new blueprint.
She said: “We at Guide Dogs Scotland know only too well how much independence can be limited for sight-impaired people by ineffective decisions, designs and processes.
“The best-made decisions are where disabled people are at the core of that complete process.”
Source: Evening Times
