Active travel is more than bikes - The Accessible Link #3
Active travel is more than bikes - The Accessible Link #3
New devices are coming and what that means for the future of active travel.
Hello everyone,
The most life-changing thing I've ever bought is my Triride wheelchair attachment. It pulls my manual wheelchair.
More and more manual wheelchair users have this or similar devices. Some members of generations X and Y, like me, have been pushing their wheelchairs for 40 years, and the only other option to cope with overused shoulders and elbows would be a powerchair.
Powerchairs are great, but using a powerchair after a manual wheelchair is a massive change, e.g., I lift my wheelchair (and my Triride) into my car. That’s impossible with a powerchair, and that’s just one example.
The new world of uneven surfaces and longer distances
But that’s not the only reason people have these devices now. It opens up a new world of uneven surfaces and longer distances (similar to a bike and even a powerchair) that we never had before.
And more and more devices are coming tailored to the users’ needs. Disabled and older people will use a wide range of devices in the future that will enable them to travel actively. E-Trikes might become more popular with older and disabled people too.
New solutions needed
I use my car far less since I have the Triride. My local High Street is now accessible to me without using a car or public transport. This is a massive game-changer.
And I can reach my local train station without any help. The streets leading to stations are often very steep, as is ours, and I struggled to get up the hill without my Triride.
But one thing is missing from most active travel concepts; they only focus on bikes and bike storage.
I often take my Triride on a train. I never had any issues (unlike a wheelchair user in Scotland). It fits in the standard-sized wheelchair space, but I often only do it because my station has no option to leave it there safely.
When I go for dinner at London Bridge station, for example, I don’t need my Triride at the restaurant, but I have to take it with me on the train because leaving it at the station is not an option.
I can imagine mobility scooter users might be in a similar situation sometimes. They might only need their scooter to get to the station, but they can walk onto the train and to their destination at the journey's end.
This photo was taken at Bletchley station.
Wheelchair attachments and mobility scooters cost several thousand pounds. So leaving them at a station like this is a considerable risk.
So when we discuss “active travel” in the future, can we not only discuss storage and concepts for (standard) bikes, please?
And the times when uneven surfaces were used as an excuse for not making footbridges accessible should be over too. Wheelchair users already use uneven surfaces, which will become even more common with the new devices available.
Active travel is more than walking and cycling. If we want people to get out of their cars and enjoy the countryside and nature, the concept of “active travel” must be far more inclusive, with practical solutions everywhere. This includes new footbridges, of course.
Some interesting links
Be My Eyes announced a new tool powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 to improve accessibility for blind people
Hull to trial ‘smart’ crossings and bus stops to enhance accessibility
New airport scanners bring an end to hand luggage restrictions and 100ml liquid limit, which means passengers will no longer need to remove laptops or liquids and can carry bottles containing up to 2 litres in their carry-on bags
The new DPTAC chair gave an interview that caused raised eyebrows
Something to listen to
Liz Carr is well known for her portrayal of forensic examiner Clarissa Mullery in the BBC TV drama Silent Witness. From 2013 until 2020, she appeared in over 70 episodes. Last year, her performance in The Normal Heart at the National Theatre won her the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Many don’t know that Liz Carr was part of the first generation of transport activists who lobbied for accessible buses and trains.
In March, she picked her Desert Island discs (be quick, it’s only online for another week), where she also mentioned her transport activism. The BBC also published a text summary.
Something #DisabilityTwitter is talking about
Hooray, more level boarding in the UK! Merseyrail made a lot of disabled people very happy.
Here is the original Tweet (because of the ongoing war between Twitter and Substack, I can’t embed tweets directly at the moment).
Meanwhile, in Australia, they are testing another solution. Several research and government organisations collaborated to develop a prototype of a modular automated ramp that can be permanently placed on platforms to improve accessibility.
Something to read
New research by the disabled access charity Euan’s Guide shows that 72% of disabled people have found accessibility information on a venue’s website misleading, confusing, or inaccurate. Over 7,500 people took part in the UK’s largest disabled access survey.
74% of participants stated that poor accessibility had resulted in a disappointing trip or forced them to change their plans. 91% of respondents try to find disabled access information about a new place before visiting, and 58% of survey participants said they avoid going to a venue if it has not shared its disabled access information because they assume it’s inaccessible.
To read the full report and results in different formats, visit: www.euansguide.com/AccessSurvey
Some final words
If people don’t look like you, they may not think like you — and if they don’t think like you, they can help you think differently. Duncan Wardle
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 or Twitter. You can also reply to this email if you want to contact me.