NEWS

Bild and People First join forces with Transport for London

New online survey launched to improve people with learning disabilities and autistic people’s experiences of travelling in and around London.

Bild is thrilled to partner with Transport for London (TfL) and People First; a national user-led organisation based in London run by, and for, people with learning difficulties, to understand the views and opinions of people with lived experience to inform future TfL customer initiatives.

The partnership launches with a survey, delving into questions such as what barriers people face travelling around London and how could TfL improve the services it offers. The survey will seek the views of people with autism, learning disabilities or difficulties and their supporters, also seeking the views of those who visit London every year or are less regular users of the transport network.

Talking about the new partnership and survey, Kate Brackley Learning Disability Advisor at Bild, said:

“For many people with learning disabilities transport is a big issue. As someone who has a learning disability, I have used transport in my life and yes I do find things a bit difficult, but given the right support you can do anything! I recently used the tube by myself for the first time, I’m not used to doing that and I was so pleased that I was confident and managed to do it.

“Please tell us your thoughts by completing this survey about the things that you find difficult. Or if you are a parent of carer, please tell us how we can make things better.”

Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: 

“Making London’s transport network more accessible for everyone is a top priority for the Mayor, so I’m pleased TfL has partnered with Bild and People First to better understand what it’s like to travel around London for people with autism, learning disabilities or difficulties.

“I encourage everyone to complete the survey and ensure their views are heard so TfL can improve its services and continue building a fairer, more accessible London for everyone.”

Mark Evers, Chief Customer officer for TfL, said:

“We’re committed to ensuring that London’s transport network is accessible for all. This partnership with Bild and People First will help us achieve this by growing our understanding of the challenges people with autism, learning disabilities or difficulties face travelling around London. We encourage everyone to share their views via the survey and we’ll ensure they are considered when we’re developing customer policies and projects, so we can make London a more accessible city for everyone.”

Andrew Lee, Director at People First, said:

“We are looking forward to working with TfL and improving the experiences of people with autism, learning disabilities or difficulties when using public transport. This is a key part of being independent.”

TfL is committed to making London’s transport network accessible for all and already has a number of initiatives in place, including TfL’s free travel mentoring service that supports people using public transport in and around London to become more confident and independent travellers, their travel support card which helps people communicate any assistance or information requirements they have with staff, and their Turn Up and Go service to help customers who may need assistance, without the need to pre-book.

As part of the partnership, Bild will also deliver a range of education activities, providing advice and support to TfL to improve awareness and understanding of the needs of people with learning disabilities and autistic people.

To find out more about the partnership, and to complete the survey, visit: bit.ly/TravelInLondon

The survey is open until 15 January 2024.