Mind the Gap: Accessibility is a Cultural Issue
You can listen to the main article in this newsletter (read by me).
A couple of months ago, I travelled to a station I had never been to before. The station’s accessibility wasn’t perfect, but it was doable with the help of staff. The staff member was friendly, but before he helped me to leave the station, he said out of the blue, “I would prefer that this station be labelled as not accessible.” The place I travelled to has no other station. If this station were declared inaccessible, I couldn’t travel there by train, but that wasn’t the concern of this staff member.
In transport and aviation, accessibility is not just a technical challenge—it's a cultural revolution. This change is based on the social model of disability, which focuses on removing environmental and societal barriers rather than on an individual's impairments.
The culture of an organisation reflects its people's mindset and values. The goal is that everyone feels included, valued and welcome. In contrast, a negative culture leads to disengagement and a lack of innovation and accessibility. A culture that prioritises accessibility can improve the passenger experience and operational efficiency. It drives innovation and future-prepared thinking.
Changing an organisation's culture is not done over night. It requires a commitment to evolving principles and practices in response to societal changes. It also needs buy-in from the senior leadership team. For instance, what was once considered acceptable, e.g. booking 24 hours in advance to get assistance boarding a train, is now often seen as outdated or even illegal. On the other hand, accessibility isn't just a compliance issue. Accessibility can improve the service quality of an organisation and can drive customer satisfaction.
To enable an accessible culture, organisations should focus on these key areas:
Compliance: Ensure that all services meet accessibility standards and legal requirements through rigorous checks and governance. Use Equality Impact Assessments to understand how changes in operations impact certain customer groups. Equality Impact Assessments are not a tool to justify discrimination but to prevent it. They can help to build confidence in the quality and accessibility of the services offered.
Culture: Cultivate an understanding of why accessibility matters. When staff know that accessibility is expected and supported from the top, it leads to more inclusive and practical solutions. That's how innovation can flourish. Innovation doesn't happen with derogations, shortcuts and dispensations on accessibility.
Training: Empower teams with the necessary skills and knowledge to design and deliver accessible services and projects. This often starts with challenging their perceptions away from the medical model of disability towards the social model. Someone who thinks the disabled customer is the problem, not the inaccessibility of a service, will treat the customer accordingly and maybe even inappropriately. Training is the foundation for a compliant and inclusive approach.
By focusing on accessibility from the start and during the day-to-day operations, organisations can create services that serve everyone. It's not just about meeting legal requirements; it's about improving the travel experience for millions.
P.S: The transport Twitterati is slowly moving from X/Twitter to Bluesky; you can find me there too. I also created a starter pack on accessibility and transport, to which I will add more accounts as more people join. It’s pinned to my profile.
Some interesting links
A new report by Transport for All urges London to improve its transport planning approach and accessibility standards. It calls for inclusive criteria like step-free access and toilet availability to serve disabled people better.
Airbus has developed a flexible new concept that would enable wheelchair users to remain in their own chairs onboard aircraft.
Talking about company culture… Air Canada promised to become more accessible. But hidden cameras show it's still falling short.
Something to learn
Everyone in railways has heard it before; the industry loves to blame the “Victorian railway infrastructure” for today's shortcomings in accessibility.
The University of Strathclyde offers a free course about station history. I learnt that this excuse is unfair to our ancestors because they were innovative and changed the stations when required.
The online course Railway History: The Rise of the Railway Station gives a unique insight into British history. It explores the heritage and uses of railway stations from the 19th century to the present.
Some final words
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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.
Work with me
Whether you're a Customer service director, a Head of Customer Experience, a corporate Accessibility manager, a DEI leader, a transport planner, or a disabled employee resource group member, I can help you to make your organisation more inclusive. You can book me for speaking engagements or hire me as a consultant for your accessibility or DEI strategy, communications advice and other related matters. I have worked for airlines, airports, train operators, public transport providers, and companies in other sectors.
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.
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