Paths for All is involved with the Making Connections: the spaces inbetween project run by Go Upstream and funded by Transport Scotland to identify the obstacles and enabling factors that people with different disabilities face when travelling from one transport hub to another.
Making the connections between different modes of transport might not seem a problem to some but can prove to be challenging or even impossible for others. When thinking about making changes in infrastructure, we need to focus on making them inclusive for everyone. Aside from identifying immediate physical changes that can be made to the public space, we are also encouraging a different way of working.
This project tries to understand the importance of journeys in people`s lives. Going on journeys is necessary for health appointments, connecting us to our loved ones, and bringing us a sense of wonder when encountering new places, experiences and relationships. We aspire to encourage and inform the creation of environments surrounding journeys that make all people comfortable and confident, so that they can maintain the meaningful connections to the important people and places in their lives.
The travel connections between Aberdeen railway station and the ferry terminal and between Ardrossan train station and the ferry terminal are being explored as part of the project.
Aberdeen railway station and ferry terminal consultation
Around 20 participants with disabilities and their carers, representatives of charities and transport companies gathered on a NorthLink ferry called "Hjaltland" for a day of sharing experiences and insights.
Listening to the stories of different journeys that the participants had taken, I was once again reminded of the sense of freedom, independence and joy that going on journeys inspires in people. One of the elderly participants with challenged mobility remarked that for her:
Every journey is a precious gift! Oh, gosh! To see new places, go on new adventures!
Going on journeys nurtures that adventurous, playful, curious and social side of people, which is so important for their overall wellbeing and enjoyment of life.
Part of the Making Connections: the spaces in between project is to find out what support already exists. Katrina from ShopMobility in Aberdeen shared that their organisation aims to help in any way that people might find useful. Sometimes it is as simple as sharing a cup of coffee with someone while they are waiting for their connection, mitigating the sense of alienation and anxiety that crowded and impersonal spaces might bring about. Other times, providing scooters or wheelchairs for easier transfer from one mode of transport to the next.
Grace from Inspire Aberdeen shared her experiences helping people to go on journeys independently. She starts from understanding what where their journey goals, to crafting the route, to training them to go on the journey by themselves. She observed that learning to go on journeys independently was important to people living with a disability, but also to their friends and families. Empowering even one member of a community, increases the sense of security and ease for all.
We spent a couple of hours of going through different worksheets and feedback forms prepared by OpenSpace and Studio LR, to see if all the important areas of improvement were being discussed.
Ardrossan train station and ferry terminal consultation
Making Connections gathered together disabled people and project partners who have all been working towards creating toolkits to record insights about the barriers and enabling factors when making the journey between the train station and the CalMac ferry terminal.
The aim of the project is to create a more universal model of connections to analyse connections between different modes of transport in different locations. Together we aim to collect the information about the different accessible design elements that urban designers can implement when planning connections that are suitable for everyone. At present we see many spaces of archaic architecture in between different modes of transport over which nobody is taking responsibility. We hope that more and more people might realise that this needs to change.
What came out clearly in the workshop was that even if the infrastructure is accessible, the services provided by the staff in different transport hubs need to be consistent and reliable. For example, a participant from the deaf community who approached staff for assistance said: “The staff were almost surprised that I was deaf. They were running about in confusion, effectively ignoring me. So, I had to be assertive and take charge. And I am usually a quiet person, I don`t cause any trouble. But I had to, to get myself safely to the hotel.”
One of the main themes that came from discussions, was the importance of well communicated, consistent information. We should aspire to keep people who need assistance informed about all the developments with regards to their journey, or about what actions are being taken to assist them. As one participant put it: “Reassurance is an important thing. Knowing what to expect calms me down.”
Another emphasised that it is important to be valued as a person. “Put yourself in the footsteps of the person you are helping. Offering to assist you to the facilities, getting something from the shops, going somewhere warm and dry. These little gestures make you feel valued as a person. I`m sure all the staff value us, but it is important to show it in action. Just a welcoming conversation and regard for your needs can put a smile on your face”.
During the workshop we saw different difficulties that people with disabilities often encounter when making journeys either to visit friends and family, to see their GP or simply to go on an adventure. Many of the participants unfortunately could describe several bad journey experiences. They prompted everyone to consider, if these were going to be your experiences when going on a journey, would you have the courage to embark on a journey at all?
For more information on the Making Connections: the spaces in between project visit the Go Upstream website.