The webinar begins with an I.Lead conference 2024 logo and underneath it says Report Card Webinar: Transport, Megan appears on screen with a blue background behind her and begins speaking
Megan Speaking:
“Kia ora, I’m Meg I am the Chair of the Wellington I.Lead committee I’m also on the National Committee. At the 2024 I.Lead Conference we talked about multiple different important issues to our wider community and one these was the Transport issue. From this we spoke about multiple different recommendations that our community would like to see to resolve these issues, eliminating and minimising the barriers. So we took these recommendations and formulated these into report cards.
So one of these recommendations was for public transport providers to have courtesy, etiquette, support and awareness training and educating them around disability awareness and support. So, this kind of stemmed from the fact that accessibility is one thing but having people aware of the importance of being kind and compassionate and being patient with us. Is so essential to ensuring that our journey is smooth and minimally stressful.
The second recommendation that came from this topic was having universally accessible public transport. Nationwide across all forms of transport for example having a standard transport requirement, and ensuring that all people no matter what accessibility requirements they have, no matter what disability they have, they know that they will have the support and accessibility that they need.
The third and final recommendation from this report card is to support Total Mobility assessors and ensure that Total Mobility assessors have lived experienced of disability. This will make a huge difference for the Total Mobility assessment process, ensuring that the people who are doing the assessments have that lived experience and that understanding of what it is like to have these accessibility requirement to make that less stressful. And a simpler process for our community.
Those are the three recommendations that our community came up with we are looking forward to seeing how we can make a difference and how we can see these recommendations play out.
The webinar ends with the I.Lead conference 2024 logo again and underneath it says ‘Want to hear more about our findings from the conference? The rest of our report card webinars can be found at www.ilead.org.nz.
Recommendation #1
Public transport staff and drivers are required to undertake courtesy, etiquette, support and awareness training and education regarding disability.
Discussion was centred on inclusion and the creation of an inclusive society, similar to the “I Am Not A Tick Box” discussion for health and something similar is needed for those people who are involved in providing transport such as bus driver, taxi drivers and those people who design the services.
Roadblocks: Influencing the transport providers to commit to training their drivers of etiquette and behaviours.
Enablers: Working with key transport agencies to form a partnership and set of goals that include young disabled people in the design of their training and work inductions
Recommendation #2
Universally accessible public transport nationwide across all forms of transportation
The lack of choice or accessible transport options, impacts young people accessing work, school, training and employment. Rectifying this issue would provide more choice and control back into the hands of disabled young people.
Roadblocks: The barrier to this is the willingness of transport providers to work collectively.
Enablers: The young people and public transport users are ready and willing to provide input and advice on how we can make this the best transport system in the world for young disabled people.
Recommendation #3
Total Mobility assessors need lived experience with disability
How can someone without lived experience and all that comes with the knowledge that be expected to assess transport access.
Roadblocks: Finding and training people who want to do this work that have lived experience with disability.
Enablers: Create internships and work experience to give people with disabilities a chance to work in this space.