Focus of work
This research project from the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC) tackled a critical but overlooked issue in the UK’s transport and climate agenda: the exclusion of disabled people from sustainable travel. While many policies seek to reduce car dependency, they often fail to consider accessibility, creating a form of systemic discrimination known as eco-ableism.
Through a mixed methods approach combining a rapid evidence review, a survey of 531 disabled people and a focus group with seven disabled people, the project enabled RIDC to build evidence outlining that current transport policies are failing to recognise and cater for the needs of disabled people impacting their ability to use sustainable transport.
Findings from the research have shown that:
- Overall, sustainable transport policies are not currently working for disabled people, with 73% of respondents reporting that these policies have had no or a negative impact on their ability to use or access sustainable modes of transport.
- 66% of respondents did not feel confident that UK sustainable transport policies meaningfully considered the needs of disabled people.
- Whilst walking/wheeling was the most used mode of sustainable transport by respondents, it remains the most inaccessible. This is caused by poor pavement design and maintenance, cluttered pavements, and poor behaviour of other road users.
- Inadequate pavements are impacting disabled people’s ability to access all forms of sustainable transport as it is the start and end point of every journey.
- There have been noticeable improvements across rail led to respondents, but these are inconsistent nationally, impacting disabled people’s ability to increase their use of rail.
- This inconsistency is also noticeable for buses, where reductions in routes and frequency, especially in rural areas, has led to overcrowding and subsequently inappropriate behaviour of other passengers.
- Other issues caused by vehicle, bus stop design and inconsistent driver training all undermine confidence and reduce both respondents’ ability and willingness to use these modes.
- Cycling/micromobility remain inaccessible and are the modes least frequently used, with only 10% of respondents having used these modes in the last two years.
- Availability, accessibility and reliability of community transport is continuously deteriorating and is no longer a viable mode for many disabled people.
- Only 4% of respondents said that public transport service providers always made the necessary adjustments they were required to make under law.
Follow the links below to read the project’s resources:
Impact
The outputs from this research have helped build and contribute to a growing evidence base demonstrating the barriers disabled people face to accessing or increasing their use of sustainable transport, highlighting that the current approach to sustainable transport policies and initiatives is excluding disabled people by design.
The case studies aim to demonstrate and provide a template for an alternative approach to sustainable transport policy development, one where accessibility is a central pillar.
The findings from this work have already helped to shape further work on micromobility design and regulation, rural transport, bus stop design, pavement use and allocation of space, and low traffic neighbourhoods by building clear solutions and recommendations. The findings were also presented in a keynote session at the Active Travel Innovations conference.