Private Transport:
Public
Transport:
Taxis
Trains
The Underground
Docklands
Light Railway
Buses
Overseas Travel:
Air Travel
Sea Travel
One thing
that is harder for disabled children is getting around; they all too
often have to rely upon their parents/carers to go outside the home. I
know that all children rely on their parents/carers to an extent but
when they become teenagers more often they want to be more independent
and go out on their own (a daunting prospect for all parents/carers but
maybe more so if your child has a disability).
One other important aspect of being out and about
is the issue of wanting to use a toilet and accessible facilities. All
public conveniences and very often disabled facilities in places such as
cinemas, theatres, train stations, airports etc.
use the
National Key Scheme (NKS) operated through an
organisation
called RADAR which offers independent access to disabled people to
around 7,000 locked public toilets around the country. RADAR would like
all providers of accessible toilets to keep their toilets unlocked if at
all possible. The NKS is suggested for use only if the provider
concerned has to keep the toilets locked to stop vandalism and misuse.
We would suggest anyone with a disabled child purchases one of
these keys and keep it with them at all times when out – you never know
when your child will need the toilet. Visit the
RADAR shop
to purchase your key.
Private
Transport:
From our
point of view with Matthew in a wheelchair we have found transport a
real problem and if it wasn’t for the fact that I drive he would not go
very far, even so just being able to drive doesn’t help when it comes to
transporting a wheelchair you have to have some form of adaptation made
to a vehicle to accommodate this.
When Matthew
was in a manual wheelchair I would manually lift him into the car and
then his chair into the boot but when he acquired his powered wheelchair
I could no longer lift this manually into the car boot because of its
weight (65Kg) and it didn’t fold down like a manual wheelchair so I had
to look at vehicles that could be adapted. I was also conscious by now
of the fact that Matthew was getting heavier and bending down to put him
in the car was putting a strain on my back. Therefore when looking for
an appropriate vehicle I had two main criteria: a boot large enough to
accommodate the powered wheelchair and a vehicle high enough from the
ground to enable me to lift Matthew in without bending down. My final
choice was a Cherokee Jeep which had ample boot space to accommodate an
electric hoist for lifting the powered wheelchair and the rear seat was
at a level whereby Matthew could be lifted in and out without bending.
As Matthew grows further, he is becoming almost
impossible to manually lift so we are having to change our vehicle again
this time to one that has full wheelchair access so that Matthew can
travel in his powered wheelchair.
We have trialled the Citroen Berlingo with a wheelchair adaptation for a
few months. Although very convenient, we found it a bit on the
small side for Matthew's electric chair.
The Citroen Berlingo ( A bit small for
powered wheelchairs)
After further investigation and trialling
of larger MPV vehicles, we have decided upon the Citroen C8 with
a fully accessible wheelchair
adaptation.
Having received the C8, we were very
disappointed with the lack of attention to detail of the actual
adaptation itself.
Remember to see our
Motoring & Travel page.
Public
Transport:
Over the
years some things have got better here although there are still a number
of hurdles and it is always best to check with the appropriate transport
company before travelling.
I am no expert here as generally we use our own vehicle but as Matthew
and Tommy get older they will want to travel more independently which
ultimately means the use of Public Transport.
I am hopeful
that things will get easier to enable disabled travellers to confidently
use public transport; here are a few points to note:
Your local council may operate taxi schemes, for example, using vouchers
or tokens. Contact them to check if there is a taxi scheme in your area.
If you qualify to use such a scheme, you will be given a card or a
number of tokens. These can be exchanged with certain taxi firms instead
of cash. The local council then pays the taxi firm.
Access Anyone
is a local taxi firm that
we use regularly and would highly recommend.
Special needs transport taxi and mini bus service. Telephone:
01702 520 990 or visit the
Access Anyone website.
-
London taxis
-
All London taxis are accessible to disabled
customers and can be booked over the telephone.
Telephone: 0871 871 8710 or visit the
'Just one number'
website.
-
Dial-a-Ride –
A door-to-door accessible transport service for people who have
some form of physical, mental or sensory problem, which makes it
difficult or impossible for them to independently use public
transport. Generally available in many large towns and cities, contact your local council
for information and availability on this service.
-
Trains
– Generally most trains are now accessible but you will have to
contact the station you are travelling from first before travelling
to ensure that assistance is available (if needed) to access the
platform and/or train. For more information take a look at the
Rail Travel for Disabled Passengers leaflet.
If you are a regular user of the trains then it may be worth getting
a disabled persons railcard for your child – although it doesn’t
reduce their fare it will entitle the parent /carer they travel with
to a third discount off the fare. For more information visit the
Disabled Person Railcard
website.
-
Underground
Railway Systems –
in London (The Tube) and Glasgow (The Subway) were mostly built in
late Victorian times and as a result generally have very poor or no
access for disabled people, especially wheelchair users.
However some parts of the London Underground, especially the newer
lines, are now accessible, and there is a continuing scheme of works
to upgrade other parts of the system, which will include some of the
older stations. For more information take a look at the London
Undergrounds leaflet
Unlocking London for All
Transport for London (TFL) and Scope have produced the 'Tube Access
Guide:
How to plan a Tube journey avoiding stairs and
escalators
If you live in London there are a number of different schemes
available to you including the
Travel Assistance Scheme,
Taxi card
and
Dial-a-Ride.
-
Dockland Light Railway (DLR) -
was the first fully accessible railway in the
UK, making access for wheelchair users much easier.
-
Buses –
New single
deck and double deck buses are designed to be accessible to disabled
people, including wheelchair users. Local councils must offer
disabled people in their area a minimum 50 per cent concession on
all local bus services; there is no charge for the bus pass. Check
with your local council for concessions in your area.
From April 1 2006 people with disabilities and people over 60 in
England can get an annual pass for free off-peak local travel in
their local area. Off-peak means 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day
weekends and bank holidays.
If you already have a concessionary bus pass, your
council should have contacted you. If not, ask your council for
details of the local scheme and any additional travel concessions in
your area.
Overseas Travel:
Not something your children would do alone but something necessary for
travelling
abroad is using air or sea.
-
Air
travel - if
you need a particular service or facility, always check that it is
available before booking your flight. Below are some of the services
that airlines and airports should be able to provide on request.
These services should be available if you have a sensory, physical
or learning disability:
-
Assistance to reach check-in.
-
Help with registration at check-in.
-
A briefing for you and any escort or companion on
emergency procedures and the layout of the cabin.
-
Help with getting on
and off the plane.
-
Help with stowing
and retrieving baggage on the plane.
-
An on-board
wheelchair (not always available)
-
Someone to meet you
off the plane and help you find your way around the airport.
For more information please refer to the
Access to Air
Travel for Disabled People – Code of Practice
At present, this is a voluntary code for UK companies only but a lot of
its content is reflected in European and international documents
covering best practice.
We have made a number of trips overseas and have always found the
airlines (especially Easy jet) and airports to be very helpful – the key
is to plan ahead and let all the relevant
organisations
know in advance of your needs and requirements.
-
Sea
Travel - before booking your journey or cruise, check with the Ferry
Company, cruise operator or travel agent that they will be able to
help with any requirements you have. Most ferry companies require
disabled people to be accompanied by an able-bodied companion.
Most UK ports have good facilities, within Europe, however, this
can vary. If possible, check before you book to ensure your requirements
will be met. For example, check for wheelchair ramps and accessible
toilets.
We don’t have any experience of
travelling
by sea so would appreciate any advice or comments you care to provide us
on this subject.
For more information on all aspects of
travelling
take a look at the following
Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee
(DPTAC) website.
