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Towards an accessible public tranport for disabled people

Just have to blog about Zara Todd and Maria Zedda and how they are both working towards an accessible public transport for disabled people – as campaigner and as trainer.

Today Zara was on Channel 4 News debate between disability campaigners and representatives of London’s transport network, charities and disabled people tell us their concerns.

Maria Zedda’s company, Wideaware, was also mentioned as providing e-learning training to   complement customer service training the London 2012  Travel Champions would be receiving.

Bravo sisters!

6 responses to “Towards an accessible public tranport for disabled people”

  1. mariazedda says:

    Wideaware were mentioned on Channel 4 News by David Sindall, Head of Access and Inclusion at ATOC (The Association of Train Operating Companies) in relation to the new website we’re developing which is all about helping the general public make sense of rail travel and the challenges within it. We cannot solve all the problems but this website is a start. We’ll also fight for better and consistent training of transport staff (well at least with Network Rail and the Train Operating companies) and I hope that it will happen. Since the first prototype e-learning and training ATOC proposed to the train companies it’s been almost three years now and they’re running out of excuses to say no….
    Fingers crossed guys, I surely would love to work with some of you on this stuff!!!
    Maria

  2. Maria I can’t see how they can resist you! You’re so lovely to work with and so knowledgeable. I’ve learned a lot from you.

  3. mariazedda says:

    Hi Eleanor, are you serious? Thank you! I gotta get David Sindall to take me to meet the TOCs more often then!!!

  4. I think Mr. Sindall would be very wise to keep in touch with you. I’m pretty sure the number of people who don’t want to live in an inclusive world you could count on a pinhead if they thought about their family and friends for more than a second.

  5. And what a professional performance from Zara! So cool and not giving an inch. Absolutely right – its not city slickers who depend on the buses: It’s mostly women with buggies and those who can’t use inaccessible trains or afford taxis/ private transport where trains don’t go. There’s a huge disconnect between passenger need and the business model here.

    But I don’t hear any politician arguing for realistic tax discounts for disabled people on account of what public goods are denied them. Of course this would be far bigger than the allowances currently paid it were calculated correctly. Must say i resented how the problems were thrown back at individual bus drivers by the bosses on tv. I’ve never found the problem to be individual, whether it be private or public transport – the opposite in fact. The choice is clear – better funding of the transport system (which, means the private sector needs to cough up if they have a public sector contract) or better compensation/ discounts to those of us denied access to transport that’s supposed to be public.

    Zara, well done. A rare opportunity to present the issues on tv and you used it exceptionally well. Thank you.

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