Clear Signals: Improving transport accessibility

Clear Signals: Improving transport accessibility For many deaf people and people with hearing loss, using public transport means navigating barriers that most passengers never have to think about. I get into a panic. You don't know if there's a terrorist or a bomb's gone off. You just don't know. The bus stops, the people leave and that's all you know. That's all you can see." 35-44, deaf BSL user, Greater London Public transport should work for everyone, but our research shows more than three quarters (77%) of people who are deaf or have hearing loss face significant and systemic barriers when travelling on public transport. For British Sign Language (BSL) users, this figure is 94%. Whether travelling by bus, train or other forms of public transport, passengers struggle to access important information needed to make journeys safely and confidently. Our new report, funded by the Motability Foundation , reveals widespread challenges accessing real-time information, a lack of deaf awareness amongst transport staff, and a lack of BSL translation. This affects people's confidence, independence and willingness to travel. However, potential solutions for some of the issues already exist and the report highlights how these can be delivered through better information, better staff support, emerging technologies and consistent policy. Additional reports and versions A 'pan-modal' problem Our findings show that accessibility barriers remain common across buses, trains, metro systems, trams and ferries, affecting people's confidence, independence and ability to participate fully in everyday life. Access to information is the biggest barrier I hate that the deaf person's always the last person to know what's going on." 55-64, deaf BSL user, West Midlands 72% of respondents say the way travel information is provided creates barriers for them. Of these, 89% say this affects their confidence when travelling. The impact goes far beyond the journey The consequences of inaccessible t