Week 7; Sensitive but important topic; Disability inclusion, diversity and equality of opportunity within active travel
This week I thought I would continue writing about different topics within active travel. I was inspired by the Spokes diversity event and Sarah, a woman I met on the train last week. Sarah has been in a wheelchair for over ten years. She shared her experience of public transport and her perspective on people with disabilities accessing active travel.
As this may be a sensitive subject, I feel it is necessary to state that this blog is based on my experience. My opinion and my personal experience may differ from others. I am also not sure the best words to use, I use disability and impairments interchangeably throughout.
I hope this blog allows you to consider the challenges you could face on your morning commute if you experienced life with an impairment.
After writing this blog, I feel like I have a new perceptive on active travel and my ability to access cycling and other forms of travel so freely. Spokes Diversity Event
Society as we are currently experiencing it, is set up for the able-bodied person first. Although things are improving, disabled people still face many challenges in their daily lives.
Certain parts of society need to adapt to give everyone the opportunity to participate in active travel if they wish.
Benefits of cycling and active travel for people with impairment’s
According to a recent disability travel survey, the non-weight bearing act of cycling takes away pain, improves balance, promotes happiness and well-being, boosts confidence, increases independence amongst people with impairments.
Having a disability can be challenging in many ways; it can take away someone’s independence and be very isolating. Transport and getting around day to day is integral to improving this.
The physical and mental benefits of cycling can have an enormous impact on someone’s self-esteem and confidence. If the right infrastructure and accessibly is in place, I believe cycling can be a power tool in relieving some of the challenges people face day to day.
However, the rates of cycling amongst people with impairments are significantly low.
Less than 2% cycle on a weekly basis daily
Over 44% have never cycled before
The survey also suggested that the main barriers for disabled cycling/active travel are impracticality, inconvenience, people’s perceptions of risk and safety and lack of confidence.
Short story about my closest experience of being disabled; becoming a walk leader with Paths for ALL
Sarah’s story; Sarah has kindly allowed me to share a small segment of her story with you. We spoke about her story raising awareness and highlighting the real-life challenges people face.
I met Sarah and her boyfriend on the train travelling to Edinburgh last week. Sarah has been in a wheelchair for the last ten years. A car accident left her paralysed from the waist down. She works in office 5 days a week. In her spare time volunteers for a Scottish disabled rights charity; informing people on their rights and campaigning for change.
We were both sitting in the area designated for cyclists and disabled access. It was peak time, meaning the space was jam packed full of commuters on their way to work.
At first, we talked about our lives; where they lived, how long they had been together, what they enjoy doing.
After I shared a bit about my job as a CCO, Sarah started talking about the difficulties she has faced accessing transport over the years.
Sarah spoke about feeling embarrassed booking public transport in advance and for having to wait for someone to help her on and off trains. On numerous occasions she has felt like a nuisance, slowing people down and waiting until everyone is on the train before she is ‘helped’ on.
She questioned, “why does she have to wait? Why does it need to be a bid deal for her to get on a train?”
She said she feels totally helpless towards the situation; she has complained many times and spoke to others facing similar challenge. People know the current system is not working, however, at the moment nothing has changed.
The worst part, she said is that her and her boyfriend can’t go on spontaneous trips without booking 24 hours in advance!
Daily commute
Before leaving the house every day, Sarah needs to consider path surfaces, building access and space for her wheelchair. Most places accommodate; however, she still worries about getting stuck. Her commute to work includes a pre-booked train and taxi; she sometimes forgets to pre-book the train and worry’s she won’t get on the train. Although she knows this is unlikely, she wishes she did not have to live differently because of her disability.
~That sentence gave me a deep sense of sadness, it felt unfair and unjust.
Sarah suggests that many wheelchair users experience these challenges and tend to travel using the most practical, easiest option- this may include not leaving the house at all.
As it stands right now, active travel or more sustainable travel is not the easiest option for people with certain impairments. For example, it may be much more of a challenge for a person who is partially sighted to walk or get the train to work or college.
How can we create opportunities active travel to this population?!
After speaking to Sarah and writing this blog, I have a new perspective on active travel. I am now considering all the things I take for granted when I’m cycling or walking.
My routine normally is; I wake up, run, shower, cycle to the train station, buy my ticket, lift my bike up the stairs, hop on the train (without any advance booking) get off and cycle straight to work.
Of course, there are minor difficulties I experience along the way:
For example, every other day non-cyclists become increasingly annoyed at my audacity to bring a bike on the train. Sighs of annoyance get louder when I apologetically try and find space to fit my bike on the busy Edinburgh train.
However, I still have the opportunity to cycle.
We make so many travel decisions without thinking about our physical ability to participate.
I can’t imagine what it would feel like to consider every possible scenario before I decided the ways I commuted to work or the shops.
At the end of our conversation Sarah told me all about the incredible disabled activist work she has been involved in. Although, Sarah spoke about her disappointments within accessible transport with me today, she did have many positive things to say about the progress that has been made across Scotland to support human rights and foster equality amongst those living with disabilities.
Hopeful future
Like we mentioned, there are fundamental societal barriers that prevent people with impairments accessing cycling and active travel. However, there are incredible projects and people out there driving change.
The Accessible Travel Fund is supporting projects and initiatives across Scotland. This years winners were just announced on the 20th of November 2018.
The goal of the fund is to "ensure that all disabled people can travel with the same freedom, choice, dignity and opportunity as other citizens, with a particular focus in encouraging more sustainable active travel options”
-One project I really enjoyed reading about was the Independent Travel Training (ITT) programme. for younger people, dementia and autism groups. The project is run by Stirling Health and Social Care Development to support individuals to travel independently.
-Wheels for Wellbeing are also doing incredible work to support disabled people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the physical, emotional, practical and social benefits of cycling.
As a campus cycling officer, there are things we can put in place to reduce personal barriers to cycling and active travel. We can support and encourage people to make changes, we can offer cycling training and bike maintenance to build confidence, we can provide bikes and we can engage with people to ask what would make it easier for them.
In my own practice I want to ensure I am aware of the potential barriers for everyone. When I’m running events, like led rides I want everyone to feel they can come and enjoy without worrying or feeling apprehensive.
Quick reveal; over the last few months I have been planning to run a cycling event aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion. So far I will be collaborating with organisations that provide adaptive e-bikes! I am still in the planning stage; engaging with students to see what things they would be interested in. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
I see huge potential in adaptive bikes in relation to active travel. if made affordable adaptive bikes can change the lives of many peoples lives, especially electric ones.
This being one of the coolest I have seen
Ending with some hopeful, abstract ideas
What needs to happen for everyone to experience the same access to active travel?
-Ensuring disability cycling access is part of the design structure
-Cultural change, individual awareness
-Hear and listen to individual’s stories and experience
-Consider what would make travelling easier for someone experience the life that way?
-Could we implement sound, more visuals, ramps or smoother surfaces
-For active travel, I had a wee idea…imagine, if we could introduce noise technology or sensory equipment in the streets for people with hearing or visual impairments. We could place the technology onto street lights. Maybe they work with a sensor- that people can apply for? So, when you walk down the street you are aware of what is around you- (the surface, the change in direction etc). If you feel unsure you can click and find out where you are. This is a bit of crazy, abstract idea. But I wanted to consider what would enable active travel within this group.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this week. This blog was hard to write. Although I can empathise, I can’t understand fully what it must be like. I hope that we come up with new ideas to make active travel accessible for everyone
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