Today we are launching our new five-year strategy; Building transport equity. The strategy follows extensive consultation with disabled people, staff, disabled people’s organisations and other key stakeholders working in disability, transport and government.
It identifies the barriers disabled people face when trying to make journeys across five transport themes, from personal mobility to public transport. Between them, the themes cover different kinds of transport, as well as the tools and support that disabled people need to make journeys.
We aim to spend up to £650m across our charitable work and organisation over the next five years and will work to demonstrate real impact for disabled people.
Nigel Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer:
“People have to travel, whether that’s for work, education, health, leisure or just taking care of daily life. But inaccessible transport and built environments mean that millions of disabled people can’t make the journeys they choose, with consequences for every area of their lives. Accessibility and equity go hand-in-hand. We want to build transport equity.
“The Motability Scheme remains our biggest priority, and the main way we support disabled people to travel around the UK. We are incredibly proud that today 860,000 eligible disabled people currently lease a Scheme vehicle and we will continue to oversee the Scheme and support people to access it.
“But the Scheme isn’t necessarily the solution for every disabled person. In the next five years, we will work to address the root causes for the barriers disabled people face, working in collaboration with others to improve access across all forms of transport. Our 2025 to 2030 strategy sets out how we will act directly and work with others to drive change. Above all, the voices and experiences of disabled people will be at the heart of everything we do.”