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The journey experience of visually impaired people on public transport in London

Low, WY; Cao, M; De Vos, J; Hickman, R; (2020) The journey experience of visually impaired people on public transport in London. Transport Policy , 97 pp. 137-148. 10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.07.018. Green open access

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Abstract

The use of public transport is critical for Visually Impaired People (VIP) to be independent and have access to out-of-home activities. Despite government policies promoting accessible transport for everyone, the needs of VIP are not well addressed, and journeys can be very difficult to negotiate. Journey requirements can often differ from those of other categories of people on the disability spectrum. Therefore, the aim of this research is to evaluate the journey experience of VIP using public transport. Semi-structured interviews conducted in London are used. The results show that limited access to information, inconsistencies in infrastructure and poor availability of staff assistance are the major concerns. Concessionary travel, on the other hand, encourages VIP to make more trips and hence has a positive effect on well-being. The findings suggest that more specific policies should be introduced to cater to the special needs of particular disabilities rather than generalising the types of aids available. It is also concluded that the journey experience of VIP is closely related to an individual's independence and hence inclusion in society.

Type: Article
Title: The journey experience of visually impaired people on public transport in London
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.07.018
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.07.018
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Public transport, Transport policy, Travel behaviour, Visually impaired people, Journey experience, Well-being
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > The Bartlett School of Planning
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10109809
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