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Disability, Travel and Transport

Transport and getting around is important to everyone and we all need to have access to the means of moving from place to place.

Poor transport provision and poor design of roads and pavements can impact negatively on us all, but can be particularly problematic for certain section of the community such as disabled people, people with certain health conditions and people with young children in pushchairs.

Traditionally, the planning of towns and cities and the way public transport was organised and supplied meant that getting around was more difficult for disabled people. In some cases that is still the case, but legislation and changes in practices, services and attitudes is changing the accessibility of our towns and of transport services.

Disability Discrimination Act – Your Rights
The Disability Discrimination Act provides legal rights in relation to products, services, treatment and practices. It offers a range of legal measures to protect equality of opportunity and access to everyone living with a disability or long-term health condition.

If you are disabled and you have difficulties using public transport, you should be entitled to request and expect fair treatment. If a bus, tram or train service proves difficult for you to use, transport providers are now be obliged to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to allow you equal access to the service.

For more information about your rights, visit the Equality and Human Right Commission website. Details and link below.

Disability Living Allowance
If you are disabled or live with a chronic long term medical condition, you may be eligible for Disability Living Allowance (DLA). See the FrankandHonest.com Benefits page for more information. You’ll find a direct link to DirectGov’s DLA pages below.

Shopmobility
This is a scheme designed to help people who have problems with mobility when they are shopping around towns. The shopmobility scheme lends different types of wheelchairs and scooters to members of the public to support their access to shopping and leisure and commercial facilities within the towns and cities. Many towns operate this scheme – look out for signs showing an orange square with a figure of a person in a wheelchair inside.

Motability
Motability is a registered charity that helps people receiving the higher rate Mobility Component of the Disability Living Allowance, or War Pensions Mobility Supplement, to obtain a new car on contract hire or hire purchase.
For further information see the contact details below on Disability Living Allowance.

Concessionary Bus Travel
If you are a disabled person you could be entitled to free bus travel in Wales? Disabled people of all ages, who are resident in Wales, are able to travel free on registered local bus services in Wales. The scheme also allows free travel on local bus services in Wales by companions to disabled persons.

For more information visit the relevant pages on the Welsh Assembly Government website – you’ll find a direct link below. To apply for a pass, you will need to contact your Local Authority – a link to a list of local council and their contact details is also below.

Blue Badge Scheme
The Blue Badge Scheme is available to eligible disabled people and allows the badge’s owner certain rights including where and how long they can park in certain restricted parking spaces. For more information, visit the FrankandHonest.com Blue Badge Scheme page.

The Mobility Trust
The Mobility Trust provide a life long loan of equipment for disability (including transport equipment). This service is usually free of charge.

Links and contact details

Name: Equality and Human Rights Commission
Web: www.equalityhumanrights.com
Email:
Tel: 0845 604 8810 (Wales specific line)
Textphone: 0845 604 8820 (Wales specific line)
Info: The Equality and Human Rights Commission is charged by law to protect individuals against discrimination, to enforce the laws on equality and to promote fairness and human rights for everyone. The Commission relates to Wales, England and Scotland.

Name: Welsh Assembly Government
Web:http://wales.gov.uk/topics/transport/?lang=en
Email:
Tel:
Info: Transport policies in Wales are the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government. The link will take you to their transport pages.

Name: Welsh Assembly Government – Concessionary Bus Travel Pages
Web:http://wales.gov.uk/topics/transport/IntegratedTransport/concessionary/fares/?lang=en
Email:
Tel:
Info: Welsh Assembly Government – Concessionary Bus Travel Pages

Name: DirectGov – Transport Pages
Web: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/index.htm
Email:
Tel:
Info: Government funded site with loads of info on public transport around the UK.

Name: DirectGov – Disability Living Allowance page
Web: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/DG_10011731
Email:
Tel:
Info: Government funded site with loads of info on Disability Living Allowance.

Name: Department for Transport (DfT)
Web: http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/
Web: www.dft.gov.uk
Email:
Tel: 020 7944 3000 (Helpline)
Info: Government department dealing with a wide range of transport issues. However, many transport issues in Wales are devolved to the Assembly. The DfT deals more with issues relating to England than with Wales issues, but they do have responsibility for some UK and England and Wales joint issues.

Name: DIAL UK
Web: www.dialuk.org.uk
Email:dialuk@aol.com
Tel: 01302 310123
Minicom: 01302 310123
Info: The Disablement Information and Advice Lines (DIAL UK) provide services for people with disabilities around the UK. Their information is impartial, free and confidential.

Name: DisabilityNet
Web:www.disabilitynet.co.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: DisabilityNet is an internet resource for anyone with a disability, and their families, carers and friends. Join in chat room discussions, keep up to date with the latest news and everything else you can imagine, including job adverts, a huge information section and archive, abbreviations, a search engine, and hundreds of useful addresses.

Name: Motability
Web: www.motability.co.uk
Email:
Tel: 01279 635666
Info: Motability is a national charity helping disabled people to become more mobile. If you receive the higher rate mobility component you may be able to lease or buy a car through the organisation Motability.

Name: The National Federation of Shopmobility UK (NFSUK)
Web:www.shopmobilityuk.org
Email:Info@shopmobilityuk.org
Tel: 08456 442 446
Info: The National Federation of Shopmobility UK (NFSUK) is an independent registered charity, which aims to achieve equal access and independence of disabled people by encouraging new Shopmobility Schemes to form throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland and overseas and continuing support for existing Shopmobility schemes.

Name: Centre for Accessible Environments
Web: www.shopmobilityuk.org/
Email: info@cae.org.uk
Tel: 020 7357 8182
Minicom: 020 7357 8182
Info: The Centre for Accessible Environments is committed to the provision of buildings and places which are accessible to all users, including disabled and older people, and to the enhancement of quality in design.

Name: Mobility International
Web: www.mobility-international.org
Email: secretariat@mobility-international.org
Tel: 00 32 2 410 62 97 (Please note this is an international number – Brussels, Belgium)
Info: Mobility International is a non-profit making international organisation promoting the independence of persons with a disability by their rehabilitation, integration and full participation in society.

Name: Disability Wales
Web:www.disabilitywales.org
Email:info@disabilitywales.org
Tel: 029 20887325
Info: Disability Wales is the leading organisation campaigning for disability equality

Name: The Mobility Trust
Web:www.mobilitytrust.org.uk/
Email:
Tel:
Info: The Mobility Trust provides powered wheelchairs and scooters for severely disabled children and adults who cannot obtain them through statutory sources or purchase such equipment themselves.

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