In July we held a special convening event in London where five charities shared the results of research projects funded by our User Research Grants Pilot.
The event also brought together organisations with a wide range of expertise to discuss key issues in disability and transport. Attendees discussed opportunities for improving journeys for disabled people across a range of transport modes, and how these could be addressed by sharing knowledge and insight and working collaboratively.
Latest research
The five charities to present findings from their research at the event were Autistic Minds, Bus Users, Transport for All, Visionary and the Wheelchair Alliance.
Autistic Minds
Autistic Minds’ research has focused on the potential for transport to unlock opportunities for autistic people in both work and education. Findings from their research will be published shortly.
Bus Users
Bus Users’ research project involved disabled people logging their bus journeys and recording their experiences across the period of one month. The aim is to make bus services in the UK genuinely accessible and inclusive. Findings from this research will be published shortly.
Transport for All
Transport for All’s research project has involved exploring options to create an accessibility measure for public transport in London that will assist disabled people when planning journeys. Findings from this research will be published shortly.
Visionary
Visionary’s research explored how public transport could be improved for blind and partially sighted people. The report provides a series of recommendations for charities to provide greater support to people with visual impairments, centred on three main areas – building confidence, having reasons to travel and engaging stakeholder. Read the full report.
The Wheelchair Alliance
The Wheelchair Alliance’s research revealed that the provision of high-quality wheelchairs can not only have significant beneficial impact on disabled people’s lives but also lead to financial benefits for the NHS and society. They have used these findings to make a series of policy recommendations on the future of wheelchair provision. Read the full report.
“No ‘one size fits all’ solution”
Chelsea Fleming, Innovation Manager said: “It’s really important for us to bring organisations together at events like this to identify common challenges in disability and transport and work together on solutions.
“We know there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to transport accessibility, so developing a greater understanding of the needs of the diverse needs of disabled people will help us provide greater support in future. Each of the research projects we heard about today involved the lived experience of disabled people, which is absolutely vital to us.
“We saw some great ideas and opportunities for potential collaborations emerging during the day, so we’re excited to see what comes next!”
Learn more about our User Research Grants
We established our User Research Grants at the Motability Foundation to support charities and disabled people’s organisations to carry out research on transport and disability with their beneficiaries.
Find out more information on applying for a User Research Grant.
