5 hopes for 2024 - The Accessible Link #17
No more window dressing
Hello everyone,
Happy New Year!
As we're at the beginning of a new year, I hope 2024 will bring significant change in customer experience and accessibility. These hopes are not just wishful thinking but a call to action for businesses and organisations to prioritise inclusion and excellent customer experience.
Here are five hopes that I hold for 2024:
No more window dressing
It is my biggest hope that in 2024, businesses will move beyond superficial gestures towards accessibility and truly commit to meaningful change. No purple-lit station once a year will help disabled people board a train. No more mere "window dressing" to appear inclusive, but a genuine dedication to creating environments and experiences that welcome all customers.
What you can do:
If you are a leader, prioritise inclusion and accessibility and say it (!). Make customer satisfaction of disabled people and accessibility bonus-relevant. If you're not leading, speak up and get your CEO or managing director on board. Many initiatives start with one voice brave enough to speak up.
Appreciate every customer
In 2024, I hope to see a customer-centric approach that recognises each individual's unique needs and preferences. This means embracing diversity and actively seeking to understand and accommodate the varied requirements of all customers. If the wheelchair space on a train or at a cinema is the only space I can't book online, something is off.
What you can do:
Don't expect the customers to do the labour for the shortcomings of your IT system. Make sure that every project includes the requirements of a diverse group of customers. That's why the diversity of teams is so important.
More action, not just "research"
Can you remember how your train journey went on the 5th of September? No? I can't either. So I was a bit amused when I got a phone call in December from a research company working for the railway regulator ORR asking me about the quality of the assistance I received that day. More than three months later!
I told the friendly woman that I could not take part as I couldn't remember how that train journey went. I have so many failed assists and other issues when I'm travelling that I wouldn't even remember a failed assist. Any regulator should caption anyone's customer experience shortly after the journey, especially in the area of compliance, such as this one.
Sometimes, I have the impression that data collection and research, especially in inclusion, accessibility and customer experience of disabled people, has one primary purpose: To show the organisation did "something". It often stops with research, but the action is missing.
While data collection is essential for understanding customer needs, it is equally crucial to translate that data into concrete actions. My hope for 2024 is to see businesses go beyond simply gathering information about accessibility; I hope they implement measures to improve the customer experience.
What you can do:
Action speaks louder than words. Use the collected customer research data to drive improvements. Never collect data to pretend to do "something", and when collecting customer feedback, make sure you ask the right questions. Unbiased and close to the event. Three months later isn't good enough if the answer shouldn't be anything else than "I think it was fine".
It shouldn't matter if a disability is visible
In 2024, I hope to see a shift towards a mindset where the visibility of a disability doesn't matter. Whether an impairment is visible or not, every person should be treated with respect and offered the assistance they need. I mentioned it before in this newsletter and at the transport select committee: An organisation with excellent customer experience and well-trained staff won't question the customer. They provide the adjustment someone asks for.
What you can do:
Train your staff better and create a customer-centric culture. It's not important what impairment a customer has but that they get the necessary adjustments. And again, refrain from putting any labour on the customer. There is no need for letters, declarations or lanyards to provide an excellent customer experience.
More power for the regulators
Regulators are crucial in ensuring businesses comply with accessibility standards and regulations. My hope for 2024 is to see regulators empowered (by the government) with increased authority and resources to enforce accessibility proactively. This includes holding businesses accountable for their accessibility efforts and taking explicit action against non-compliance.
What you can do:
Vote wisely in 2024.
In conclusion, 2024 holds the potential for significant improvements in customer experience and accessibility. By embracing these hopes and actively working towards their realisation, businesses can create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all their customers.
Some interesting links
USA Today gives an outlook on how the problem of wheelchair damage when flying is tackled in the US and how it affects disabled passengers.
Even if you're not living with a chronic illness yourself, this Vox article gives good insights into how to help others who do.
Lonely Planet has published an accessible travel phrasebook in 35 languages. The book is free (you still need to go through the "buy it" process to get it). I think the idea is amazing, and considering that this is a free book, I won't moan too much, but the German part is not well-edited. I hope the other 34 languages are better.
Off-topic (written by me): I've put together a list of my top 6 business apps that I relied on in 2023.
Something to watch
Yes, I love to see train interiors from other countries, especially when the train has level boarding, wide aisles and a wide choice of seating arrangements. These are accessibility features that are so mainstream in some countries that nobody would consider them as accessibility features. Can we get there in the UK, too, please?
Something to read
Yes, I confess, this is slightly off-topic, but I found it so interesting, and it's a good topic for the start of a new year, so I thought I would share it. It's an article about what the longest study on happiness found is the key to a good life. This article is adapted from the authors’ newest book, "The Good Life", which is very much at the top of my "to read" list.
Some final words
“If you can dream it, you can do it.” (Sheralyn Silverstein)The Accessible Link is a reader-supported publication. So, if you like what you’re reading, consider to become a paid subscriber or
Who is writing this newsletter?
I’m Christiane Link, and I improve the customer experience in aviation, transport, and travel. I worked as a journalist for over two decades and travelled extensively for business and leisure. I’m a wheelchair user. If you want to read more from me, follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Bluesky or Mastodon. You can also reply to this email if you want to contact me.