The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (Guide Dogs)

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (Guide Dogs) Transport and Mobility Conference, 5 July 2011

Report of Conference

The conference was chaired by Tony Aston, Guide Dogs Chairman.

Purpose: Mobility for all blind and partially sighted people is key to Guide Dogs’ strategy and to the UK Vision Strategy.

The purpose of the conference was to gather the views of the vision impairment sector on the issues of greatest concern to blind and partially sighted people in relation to transport and mobility whether in the pedestrian environment, on public transport or in relation to international transport services. It also provided the opportunity to inform the sector about the work Guide Dogs is doing, both in public policy and campaigning, to promote the mobility interests of blind and partially sighted people; and to consider the views of others working to promote improved access to the pedestrian environment and transport services for other disability groups and the general public.

This was the second Guide Dogs Transport and Mobility conference. The first conference was held in Birmingham in October 2009.

of 14 Following that first conference the priorities identified were taken forward in Guide Dogs’ work programme and 6 monthly progress reports were circulated to delegates and other interested parties. This will also be the case following this second conference.

Delegates: Delegates from a range of organisations in the visual impairment sector attended the conference, as well as from the wider access and disability sectors, representatives of service providers, and bodies working on passenger transport and the pedestrian environment. A list of delegates is attached at the end of this report.

Organisations represented included, from the visual impairment sector, Action for Blind People, Circle of Guide Dogs Owners, Deafblind UK, EBU Commission on Mobility and Transport, the Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People (JCMBPS), Macular Disease Society, National Federation of the Blind (NFB), National League of Blind and Disabled People, RNIB, Royal National College for the Blind, Seeability, St Dunstans, Visionary and Vision 2020. Members of Guide Dogs Consultative Users Forum and staff from Guide Dogs Public Policy and Campaigns Department were also present.

From the wider access and disability sectors there were delegates from the Access Association, Assistance Dogs UK, Centre for Accessible Environments, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), and the Joint Committee on Mobility of Disabled People.

We also welcomed representatives from consultants David Bonnett Associates, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Living Streets, Passenger Focus, the Royal Town Planning Institute and South West Trains.

Introductory presentations: Following a welcome from the Chairman, Tony Aston, Carol Thomas, Guide Dogs Access and Inclusion Manager, outlined some of the progress that had been achieved since the first conference in October, 2009, and current areas of work, as reported in the 6 monthly progress updates.

of 14 The key note speaker, Sean Dilley, Parliamentary Lobby Journalist, gave an entertaining and informative presentation in which he outlined some of the access issues he has faced as a guide dog owner. He highlighted awareness and attitude as key issues – for politicians, officials, transport staff and the general public; and that raising awareness and training were important across all travel modes.

Sean stressed the need to be clear, concise and coherent when seeking to influence politicians and officials. He supported the conference aim to prioritise key issues to be taken forward, as important to campaign on just one or two issues at a time, while seeking to influence developments on wider areas.

Conference workshops: The conference was structured to ensure that most of the day was in workshops to provide maximum opportunity for delegates to participate. Each delegate attended two out of four workshops.

 Pedestrian Environment  Buses and taxis (including minicabs)  Rail and light rail (tram)  Air travel and shipping (including ferries)

Delegates selected their two workshop choices. The pedestrian environment workshop was the largest group as first choice for most delegates and this was followed by the buses and taxis workshop, perhaps reflecting that people need to use these more often and thus place a higher priority here compared to international travel modes.

The feedback from the workshops is provided below. These views will be used to inform Guide Dogs priorities in the future to ensure that we are addressing the issues that really matter to blind and partially sighted people and that will do most to advance mobility.

of 14 It is important to remember that many blind and partially sighted people also have other impairments and this must be taken into account when requirements for inclusive environments and transport services are considered. In particular a large proportion of blind and partially sighted people also have a hearing impairment, and there are a significant minority whose deafness is so severe they should be considered as a distinct group in relation to their built environment and transport requirements.

Workshop Reports:

Pedestrian Environment: Facilitator: Helen Aluko-olokun; Scribe: James White; Supported by Majeed Neky, Living Streets;

A. Priorities agreed:

1. Campaign for clearly defined pedestrian routes separate from bicycles, cars and other traffic The preference is still for traditional pavements and kerbs.

2. Consistent implementation of tactile paving This is a key challenge when considering the current trend for localism. If councils interpret guidelines for use of tactile paving on an individual basis, this is likely to cause difficulties for blind and partially sighted people.

3. The need for better engagement with local authorities - members and council officials, and with street designers.

B. Additional key issues: to be monitored and taken up as opportunities arise and resources permit.  Electric scooters. The lack of noise they emit, and the lack of regulations surrounding ownership and use were the main problems.  Rather than pushing for more regulation, we should be encouraging the police and local authorities to enforce existing regulations.  Pedestrian crossings are being removed; controlled crossings often do not have audible signals; and concern about the poor state of repair of pedestrian crossings.

of 14  Concern that Transport for London seem supportive of shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists.  Concerns that our campaigning was failing to persuade citizens of their responsibilities as individuals.  More should be done at a regional/local level.

C. Other points from workshop:  Cities are often more accessible for blind and partially sighted people than towns and villages.  Wiltshire have something called the “Clarence Hotline” which people can call to report a problem with the pedestrian environment  RNIB have a network of regional campaigners who they use to collect information about proposed changes to the pedestrian environment  Living Streets provide Community Street Audits as a commercial offering.

Buses and Taxis: Facilitator: Andrea Gordon; Scribe: Gill Kenyon Supported by: Paul Fullwood, Passenger Focus

A. Priorities agreed:

1. Training and Awareness for bus drivers and for taxi drivers Training to include VI issues, and monitoring effectiveness of training for both bus and taxi drivers. For bus drivers the Certificate of Professional Competence addresses disability equality and awareness but there are still many examples of poor practice. For taxi drivers training may be offered in some areas but most do not seem to have been trained in VI or disability issues. Many examples given in the workshop of minicab drivers tooting outside when informed the passenger is a blind person, or taxis tooting from across the street, and drivers not knowing the route.

2. Audible and Visual information on buses Consensus on how important this is, and that the campaign should continue.

3. Consistent service across the country

of 14 Cuts in bus services affect some areas more than others, and there are particular problems in rural areas. London is not typical of experience across the country.

B. Additional key issues: to be monitored and taken up as opportunities arise and resources permit.  Exemption certificates for taxi drivers due to allergy. It was considered that certificates from own GPs may be too easy to obtain and a suggestion that certificates should be obtained via consultants instead.  Need a way for a blind or partially sighted passenger to identify the driver of a taxi or a bus in order to report an issue  Dedicated space suitable for guide and assistance dog owners on buses with space for dog.  Hailing buses – buses stopping when hailed rather than at a bus stop raises obvious issues for blind and partially sighted people

C. Other points from workshop:  Useful to do ‘Tips for taxi drivers’ similar to the Guide Dogs ‘tips for bus drivers’  Train bus drivers not to drive off until passenger is seated  Concern that there is often a language barrier preventing good clear communication with some bus and taxi drivers

Rail and light rail: Facilitator: John Welsman; Scribe: John Shelton Supported by: Phil Dominey, South West Trains

A. Priorities agreed: The overall goal is for a standardised, consistent and seamless travel experience.

1. Consistent passenger assistance and easier to locate assistance desks and help points at stations Where possible consider standardising the location of assistance desks across all stations, relative to the station entrance and platform exits. Where this is not possible consider standardising the location of ‘assistance call points’ e.g. telephone hotlines at appropriate points where disabled passengers can call and wait for assistance.

of 14 The number of, and training of, assistance staff must also be improved. It was noted that with an ageing population there will be more demand for assistance, but that automation and financial cut-backs mean that there are less staff to assist. It was also noted that a human assistant is easier for disabled people to interact with and can provide more information and additional support than a machine.

2. National policy across train operating companies (TOCs) to improve and standardise the support and treatment of blind and partially sighted people and their assistance dogs on trains All blind and partially sighted people should have a right to a priority seat, and for guide dog owners a seat adequate for them and their dog.

Where one is not available they should be entitled to use the wheelchair accessible seats or get an automatic up-grade to first class (some TOCs already do this but not consistent between train companies). In particular, people using an assistance dog often have a difficult time finding a seat that also has enough floor space for their dog to comfortably settle down without causing an obstruction.

It was also noted that the type of seat requested and promised at the point of booking is often not available once on the train. There is also sometimes a difference between what station staff advise when boarding a blind or partially sighted passenger as apposed to what then happens with on-board staff.

2. Better provision and use of passenger information systems to provide Real-Time Information in stations and on trains Traditional departure boards are difficult for visually impaired people to use, and often verbal announcements of platform departures do not leave enough time for disabled people to comfortably get to the train and locate a suitable priority seat. Therefore, improved methods for providing accurate and timely information at stations are required.

of 14 It was also noted that onboard passenger information systems were often variable both in terms of their use (non- standard announcements by on-board staff), and the quality of the announcements made (volume, clarity, consistency). Use of automated systems on all trains to announce all stations on all routes, with a uniform approach to announcements across TOCs, should be compulsory.

B. Additional key issues: to be monitored and taken up as opportunities arise and resources permit.  Tactile paving should be used more consistently and it should be installed at all stations and platforms without the delays associated with waiting for major station refurbishments.  Simplify ticketing so that one ticket covers all legs of journey and so that one ticket can cover multiple or repeat journeys. Tickets to work across modes of transport. However, it was noted that smart ticketing by mobile phone may be problematic because not all handsets are accessible, and many users will not have confidence in the transaction. Also the human interaction with staff at the point of ticketing provides an opportunity to seek additional information and help, for example “where are the toilets or coffee shops?”  The design and layout of train carriages should be standardised, particularly with regard to the operation and location of door controls, as using automatic doors on toilets and between carriages is often very difficult.  Assistance at major stations and interchanges is often most problematic, and travelling by cross-country trains was described as often a ‘nightmare’.  Reserve the use of accessible (wider) ticket barriers/gates for those who need them – often other passengers use them causing additional congestion and confusion for disabled travellers.  Greater consideration should be given to designing for people with multiple disabilities.

Air and Passenger Ship Travel: Facilitator: Carol Thomas; Scribe: Gail Stewardson Supported by: Mark Stone, Equality and Human Rights Commission

of 14 A. Priorities agreed: 1. Good quality, effective staff training This should be provided at all levels from board members to front line assistance staff. Where part of customer service and/or disability equality training the specific requirements of blind and partially sighted people must be included.

For instance, appropriate assistance for blind and partially sighted people rather than provision of a wheelchair. Monitoring needed to check effectiveness of training and to ensure that future generations of staff are being trained, too.

2. Information for travellers to be easily available, accessible, consistent and reliable Pre-travel information should enable people to make informed choices and provide confidence that all arrangements are confirmed including staff assistance where required. Passengers should also be informed of how to take up problems where these occur and how to complain. Information during journey – from staff where audible information not available or sufficient.

3. Involvement of service users For instance in passenger user committees and airport consultative committees; and in training programmes.

B. Additional key issues: to be monitored and taken up as opportunities arise and resources permit.  Key points for assistance include booking staff; assistance at an airport; links between transport modes and airport; links between assistance providers at start and destination  Sometimes assistance at an airport involves a number of staff who do not communicate adequately amongst themselves when there are breaks in their responsibilities  On line booking – link with booking assistance can be a problem  Variations in ticket prices for same travel destinations and the difficulty for blind and partially sighted people to obtain this information  Silent airports – need for audible information

of 14  Assistance waiting areas – problems when a blind or partially sighted person left for a long time, no opportunity to get a coffee or visit toilet facilities, concern over what is happening when no staff around or audible information  Security staff – effective training needed  Delays waiting to be collected when plane lands and concern over connections to trains etc. Some delegates noted that they can request early assistance because of connection to onward transport but not all aware of this  When writing a complaints letter, it is good to include information on how the passenger would like to have been treated and recommendations for improvement of the service.  Cruise ships are like hotel resorts rather than a travel vehicle. Forthcoming European regulations for passenger shipping or Equality Act will not cover on board facilities once out of UK waters  Appropriateness of taking assistance dogs on long distance cruise ships – information needed to enable assistance dog owners to make informed choices

C. Other points from workshop:  Freedom of movement and the adoption of European mobility cards is the European Disability Forum (EDF) priority campaign for this year and that of the European Guide Dog Federation (EGDF), too. EGDF conference on this theme planned for Oct 7th 2011 in Bucharest, Romania  The requirements of the EU air regulations cover a range of issues discussed but not effectively enforced as problems still exist. EDF is being consulted on guidelines being drafted by the European Commission and the Member State national enforcement agencies around implementation of the EU air regulation. EGDF has been invited to forward to EDF concrete examples of where problems in air travel remain for Europe’s guide dog users  EU regulations for passenger ships will need to be monitored too.  The work of the International Travel Group on travel with assistance dogs, co-ordinated by Guide Dogs, was noted. More airports providing facilities but more still to be done.  Training resources which fit business needs and can be slotted into training provision will be most effective

of 14  E learning useful but face to face training involving blind or partially sighted people required for some, particularly front line staff  EHRC has developed e-learning training with ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) for Senior Managers and frontline staff

Plenary Session: The plenary session included feedback from the four workshop facilitators on the priorities agreed, followed by a panel discussion. The panel comprised:

 Majeed Neky, Living Streets  Paul Fullwood, Passenger Focus  Phil Dominey, South West Trains  Mark Stone, Equality and Human Rights Commission

Conclusion: The chairman summed up the feedback from the workshops and the panel discussion. He noted the following key issues:  Human factors - physical access and usable technology are important but people make the difference.  Training – a key priority across all travel modes  Attitude – of policy and decision makers, to the wheelie bin collector and front line transport staff.  Raising awareness – among all the above and the general public.  Communication – between disabled passengers and staff; and between staff particularly when travel arrangements involve staff assistance from different areas or when involves interchange between different transport modes.  Information – accessible, consistent and reliable, before and during the journey

Collaboration is important. We need to collaborate at national, regional and local levels to have greater impact.

We also need to collaborate with others to demonstrate that improvements for blind and partially sighted people also benefit other groups and the general public.

of 14 Taking this forward:  Guide Dogs will consider the issues and priorities which have come out of this conference and how these can best be taken forward. In doing this Guide Dogs will work with the key leaders in these areas within government, transport and service providers.  We will collaborate with organisations in the sector to promote the mobility of blind and partially sighted people.  Guide Dogs will continue to provide regular bi-annual updates of activity and progress on these issues.

…………………………………………………………………………… Report prepared by: Carol Thomas, Access and Inclusion Manager, and members of Guide Dogs Public Policy and Campaigns Team.

of 14 Delegates List:

Chairperson: Tony Aston, OBE, Guide Dogs Keynote speaker: Sean Dilley, Parliamentary Lobby Journalist

Jill Allen-King, MBE, National Federation of the Blind Helen Aluko-olokun, Guide Dogs Anne Ansell, Joint Committee on Mobility for Disabled People Jean Appleton, Vision 2020 3rd Sector Travel Sub-group Philip Barham, Access Association, Leeds, W. Yorkshire June Best, Consultation Users Forum, Guide Dogs Geoffrey Biggs, Retired Senior Rehabilitation Worker Philip Biggs, Assistance Dogs (UK) Access Group Robert Blackwood, Consultation Users Forum, Guide Dogs Mike Brace, CBE, Vision 2020 UK Sue Bridgeland, Royal National College for the Blind Hans Cohn, Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People Chris Croft, Visionary Gareth Davies, National League of Blind and Disabled Phil Dominey, South West Trains Olav Ernstzen, DPTAC Carl Freeman, Guide Dogs Paul Fullwood, Passenger Focus Douglas Gilroy, National Federation of the Blind UK Peter Gorbing, Dogs for the Disabled Andrea Gordon, Guide Dogs Rose Hewitt, Consultation Users Forum, Guide Dogs Hugh Huddy, RNIB Sam Hunter, Consultation Users Forum, Guide Dogs Gill Kenyon, Guide Dogs David Light, SeeAbility Tom McInulty, Macular Disease Society Jas Mahil, Royal Town Planning Institute Majeed Neky, Living Streets Jan Peake, Guide Dogs Brenda Peuch, Centre for Accessible Environments Susan Pitt, Consultation Users Forum, Guide Dogs Liam Proudlock, Access Association, London Marine Semichon, David Bonnett Associates Rashmi Shah, Circle of Guide Dog Owners John Shelton, Guide Dogs Joanna Sinkins, St Dunstan’s

of 14 Alan Smith, Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People Jason Spinney, Surrey Association for Visual Impairment Gail Stewardson, Guide Dogs Mark Stone, Equality and Human Rights Commission Carol Thomas, Guide Dogs Janice Tillett, Deafblind UK John Welsman, Guide Dogs Caroline Weston, Guide Dogs Colin Whitbourn, Action for Blind People James White, Guide Dogs

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