Earlier this month, I attended the fourth annual Disability Capital conference, which focuses on the civil rights of disabled and deaf people living and working in London.
The conference was held at ExCeL, which will be the venue for several Paralympic sports, including Boccia, Paralympic Table Tennis, Paralympic Powerlifting and Wheelchair Basketball.
During the Paralympic Games alone, we need to ensure that transport is available to all venues for up to 160,000 spectators each day. Approximately 15-20 per cent (24,000 – 32,000) of these spectators are expected to have specific access needs.
The ODA Transport team has already engaged with organisations of disabled people during our planning and we maintain regular contact with these organisations. However, with more than 800 delegates, most of whom were disabled people, this conference was a great chance for us to connect with a large number of individual disabled Londoners.
My colleagues, Clare and Iain, also attended and we formed part of the ‘Meet the Managers’ component of the program. This gave delegates the chance to tell us their thoughts, comments and suggestions about our transport plans for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
We interviewed delegates on their travel mode choice, where they came from and what travel information sources they used. This survey will provide valuable data when refining our transport plans for ExCeL and other Games venues.
The conference was also an opportunity to observe and understand how the venue accommodated both able and disabled delegates, and to observe the activity at the DLR stations of Customs House and Canning Town, which provide vital transport services to ExCeL.
The key speakers were: David Morris (Mayor’s Senior Policy Advisor, Disability and Deaf Equality); Anne McGuire (Minister for Disabled People); Ken Livingstone (Mayor of London); and Peter Hendy (Commissioner for Transport, Transport for London). A number of break out sessions were held discussing such topics as equality laws, British sign language and independent living.
A major highlight was when Ken Livingstone announced that he is abolishing Dial-a-Ride fares for older and disabled Londoners and their companions from 1 January 2008. Dial-a-Ride is a door-to-door transport service provided by TfL for older and disabled people who cannot use buses, trains and the tube. This change is estimated to benefit around 50,000 people living in London.
In the lead up to 2012, Disability Capital conferences will continue to help us engage with the disabled and deaf community and ensure we plan and deliver accessible transport services for everyone during the Games.
