Table Of ContentGet on board
How to make bus travel better
for people with sight loss
In partnership Funded
with by
1
Contents
3 Foreword
4 Introduction
5 Why this matters
9 Removing barriers to bus services
1 8 Useful resources
1 8 References
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Danny, Hilary and Nathan who feature in the film that
accompanies this guide, as well as all those who took part in focus group
discussions to inform it. We are also grateful to members of the Association
of Transport Coordinators for their comments.
2
Foreword
Public transport provides an essential service for many
people, some of whom are among the most vulnerable
in our society, to access employment and services. In
Wales, the bus network is of particular importance in
rural areas and parts of the country not served by rail.
We are therefore working to ensure that everyone who
needs to access bus services in Wales is able to do so.
Sight loss affects people of all ages, but as our
population gets older, we must accept that more people
are likely to experience loss of sight. The introduction
of the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995, has helped bring about an improvement
in attitudes and provision of services. It has improved the ability of blind and partially
sighted people to live independent lives in Wales, but some barriers remain. That’s
why I want to see the removal of any barriers to accessing bus services.
This guidance, firmly rooted in the life experiences of blind and partially sighted
people, is an aid to help bus operators, trip organisers and public authorities to meet
their legal and moral obligations to improve the accessibility of bus services.
I am confident that this guidance will make a valuable contribution to improving
access to public transport and meeting our wider objectives to improve opportunities
for independent living across Wales.
Edwina Hart MBE CStJ AM
Minister for Economy, Science and Transport
3
Introduction
Bus travel is a vital service for people with sight loss, allowing them to actively take
part in their communities, to work and live their lives independently. This guide sets
out the actions that should be taken to ensure that bus services in Wales meet the
needs of passengers with sight loss.
Ten actions to take
1. Make bus stops accessible to people with sight loss.
2. Provide disability awareness training for bus drivers.
3. Have clear stopping policies that are applied and monitored.
4. W here vehicles are fitted with audio announcements, ensure
that they are used.
5. W here vehicles do not have audio announcements, ensure
bus drivers provide information for passengers with sight loss
about the service and their destination.
6. S et performance management targets that incentivise drivers
to assist passengers with sight loss.
7. P rovide information about bus services in a range of
accessible formats.
8. M ake customer feedback systems accessible to people with
sight loss.
9. I nvolve people with sight loss in planning, delivering and
monitoring bus services.
10. C onsider the impact of proposed changes on people with
sight loss when conducting Equality Impact Assessments.
4
Why this matters
Facts and stats about sight loss
There are currently nearly 100,000 people in Wales living with sight loss [1].
The number of people with sight loss is expected to increase dramatically. It is
predicted that by 2050 the number of people with sight loss in the UK will double [1].
Sight loss affects people of all ages but as we get older we are increasingly likely
to experience sight loss. One in five people aged 75 and over, and one in two people
aged 90 and over, are living with sight loss [1].
This means there are large numbers of people in your local authority area living with
sight loss (probably far more that indicated on the local authority register of sight
impaired people, because there are flaws within the registration system) and that
a significant proportion of bus users or potential bus users will have sight loss.
What do we mean by sight loss?
The reality of sight loss varies for each individual, but can impair:
• the sharpness or clarity of our vision
• our ability to detect objects to either side, above or below the direction in which
we are looking
• our ability to detect colours.
Sight loss can impact on every aspect of a person’s life: their physical and mental
health, their ability to live independently, their ability to find and keep a job, their family
and social life.
It’s not always obvious that someone has sight loss or how much they can and cannot
see unless they tell you. Some people will still be able to read standard print, others
may use a magnifier or need larger print and others will need audio or braille versions
of written materials. Some people will use a guide dog or a long cane to help them
avoid obstacles and walk around safely, but not everyone with sight loss does. It is
therefore important that you ask people what assistance they might need, and not
make assumptions.
5
Blind and partially sighted people’s experiences
“It’s frightening, people just don’t understand what it’s like to have no idea
where you are, if the rest of the world had to go through it, they would never
get on a bus!” Mrs W
“I have to make myself go out, if I want to do something. I have to psych
myself up, because it is scary... getting out and about is not easy.” Hilary
“I would only ever use the bus for familiar routes.”
RNIB Cymru survey respondent, 2014
“My teenage son, because he is young, does not have a guide dog or cane,
it’s not obvious he has a sight problem while at a bus stop (the way he prefers
it as a teenager). This causes him to be treated quite impatiently by drivers.
When I enquired about disabled services, they can only provide information
about wheelchair access, which makes me very angry. I was told the
alternative was to ring 24 hours in advance of what journeys my son planned
to make – he’s a young man, he wants to use a bus like anyone else does, by
judging when he’s ready! He doesn’t like flagging down buses, then realising
it’s the wrong one once he can read its number and destination. Something
seriously needs to change. ‘Disabled’ doesn’t just mean ‘wheelchair user’.”
RNIB Cymru survey respondent, 2014
18% 81%
of blind and partially sighted said, as a result of the
respondents to a Guide Dogs difficulties they encountered
survey described their usual on when travelling by bus, they felt
board experience as poor [2]. unable to enjoy the freedom
others take for granted.
63% 9%
said they chose to stay at had missed job interviews, 14
home on at least a couple of per cent had turned down jobs,
occasions each month rather and 35 per cent said that the
than using the bus. prospect of travelling by bus
put them off attending doctors
or hospital appointments.
6
As people with sight loss do not drive, bus services can play a vital role in enabling
them to get around. Yet it is clear that people with sight loss across Wales face many
problems when using buses. This has led some to stop using buses altogether. Others
say that they go out less often, or that when they do they have to prepare themselves
for high levels of stress and inconvenience. This is despite the fact that many of these
problems should be easy to resolve.
Taking the actions set out in this guide will help to make sure that all buses in Wales
provide a consistent standard of service that can meet the needs of passengers with
sight loss.
Legislative context
All public transport providers have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make their
services accessible. For someone with sight loss, making a service accessible means
not only considering physical access to vehicles, but a wider range of factors, such as
how they will access information about bus services, or the assistance that they may
require during their journey.
The Equality Act requires “reasonable” changes to policies and practice(s) that
place blind and partially sighted people at a substantial disadvantage and to provide
auxiliary aids to existing provisions. Many of the policies and practices recommended
in this guide could be described as auxiliary services to make bus journeys accessible,
and considered reasonable steps for the bus operator to have to take in order to meet
their Equality Act duties.
EU Regulations on Passenger Rights in
bus and coach transport requiring
non-discriminatory access to transport
have been in force since March 2013.
Other requirements that have not yet
been enacted include:
• mandatory disability awareness
training of staff of buses and coaches
• information to be provided throughout
the journey.
7
During 2014, the UK Minister for Transport undertook a review of bus driver training,
including the use of a derogation applied under EU Regulation 181/2011 (concerning
bus/coach passenger rights) exempting bus and coach drivers from undertaking
mandatory disability awareness training. At the time of publication, there has been no
outcome from this review.
Following the guidance in this document can help bus operators and local authorities
meet their Equality Act duties and ensure they’re prepared for the new EU regulations.
8
Removing barriers
to bus services
Commissioners of bus services will want to know that services are accessible to
people with sight loss. More accessible bus services makes both good business
sense and also fulfils legal obligations.
The sections below cover some of the key areas that commissioners, trip generators
and bus operators should consider. To support bus operators, RNIB has developed a
bus charter that involves signatories agreeing to a number of commitments relating
to accessibility (see Useful resources). This can be adopted as a first step.
Local authorities can also consider the actions they could take themselves to improve
bus travel for people with sight loss, for example adjusting roadside equipment and
involving local blind and partially sighted bus users when services are being planned.
Driver training
“I don’t have a guide dog, and I don’t use a cane, so a lot of people would look
at me and not realise that I’ve got a disability, or got a sight problem. I sort of
understand that, in a way, but when I’m asking for someone’s help, I’m asking for
a reason, and if I didn’t need help, I wouldn’t ask. And I think if I am asking the bus
driver ‘what bus is this?’ or ‘can you tell me when I need to get off for this stop?’,
they should just say ‘yeah, that’s fine’, because that’s part of their job, and I don’t
think it’s their right to ask me ‘why do you need me to tell you that?’...It’s not every
bus driver.... but when you do get an incident, it makes you feel really bad;
it knocks your confidence, because there’s just no need for it.” Danny
Bus drivers are not required to undertake any training specific to people with sight
loss. We know, however, that drivers will encounter passengers with sight loss on
a regular basis and the way that they interact has a critical impact on whether or not
the passenger is able to use the service.
Having interactive sight loss awareness training and involving blind and partially
sighted people in the design of training materials and activities, can have a significant
impact on drivers’ understanding and behaviour. It is also an opportunity to make
sure drivers are aware of the relevant policies in relation to people with sight loss (for
example, bus stopping practices and accessible information provision).
9
RNIB have developed an activity called “Swap with me” (see Useful resources),
which is a way of bringing bus drivers, instructors and managers together with
passengers with sight loss for a few hours of swapping and sharing experiences.
Bus drivers wear “sim specs”, which simulate different types of eye conditions, and
then try hailing and boarding a bus, interacting with the driver and finding a seat.
Throughout the activity, the drivers are paired with a passenger with sight loss so
they can ask about their experiences. Full details of how to run a “Swap with me”
event are available from RNIB. The film that accompanies this guide may also be
useful for training.
“By taking part in ‘Swap with me’, we gained a better understanding of the
obstacles our partially sighted and blind customers face whilst catching a bus.
It also gave customers the opportunity to sit behind the wheel to experience the
noise levels and bus travel from the driver’s perspective. We value working with
RNIB, and it’s evident from this event the difference positive open dialogue and
mutual understanding makes. Some great lessons were shared which I’m
confident will improve the service for everyone.”
Simon Mohammad, Cardiff Bus
“The ‘Swap with me’ event was a really good opportunity to meet people on the
frontline and get their view on how difficult it is to navigate a big vehicle, when
dealing with passengers and money and trying to keep to time. It gave me an
understanding of what it’s like for bus drivers. And in turn they learned about
different eye conditions and how they impact on our daily lives, and asked lots
of questions.” Nicola
Stopping policies and practices
“The bus stop has probably about
three or four different buses that stop
there, so I can’t always tell which bus is
coming in. But if there’s somebody at
the bus stop then I can ask or they will
quite often say ‘where are you going?’
and tell me.” Hilary
“I had a very distressing experience
when a bus did not stop for me at a bus
stop. The driver did stop though, 100
yards up the road. On alighting the bus,
the driver was very abrupt with me. He
said that he did not know that I was
waiting for the bus because I did not
signal for him to stop. Being so upset
because of his attitude, I did not tell
him that with my eye condition I did
not see the bus approaching.” Carol
10
