Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g BETTER SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS WITH DISABILITIES AND REDUCED MOBILITY MARIA NYMAN POLICY OFFICER

Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g European Disability Forum ENGO representing the rights of 65 million persons with disabilities EDFs mission is to promote equal opportunities and human rights of persons with disabilities “Nothing about us without us!”

Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g EDF cooperation with the IRU ECMT/IRU study on “Improving access to taxis” 2007 IRU taxi accessibility guidelines 2008 IRU/EDF checklist for taxi drivers 2010

Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g Role of taxis for disabled persons Why is access to taxis important? Transport is essential for social inclusion and non- discrimination Persons with disabilities need the same flexibility in travel options as other citizens Seamlessness is essential – taxis are part of the travel chain Lack of accessibility of public transport Role of taxis as Door-to-door services for many persons with certain needs Even with a public transport system designed for all, taxis will remain essential in certain circumstances

Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g Barriers and solutions 1 Design barriers… Different physical barriers for different persons as the needs vary (ramps, space for guidedogs/mobility equipment, audio/visual information, coulour-contrasting, hearing loops…) …and design solutions ECMT/IRU report Improving access to taxis from 2007 includes a series of useful recommendations Different « grades » of access: some solutions can be integrated in all taxis, some for a percentage of the fleet

Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g Barriers and solutions 2 Cost barriers and solutions Taxis is a relatively expensive mode of transport Persons with disabilities use taxis more than other groups – but generally live on lower incomes Taxis should be considered part of the public transport system – particularly as long as the other modes of transport are not fully accessible Subsidies from States – various schemes exist

Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g Barriers and solutions 3 Attitudinal barrier… Sometimes the most difficult barrier – but also the easiest to overcome! Lack of awareness on disability leads to misunderstandings and sometimes negative attitudes …and solutions! Disability awareness training Make use of IRU guidelines and checklist for drivers

Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g Cooperation with representative organisations It is essential that all stakeholders cooperate when elaborating policies and practices. EDF calls for an continuous dialogue between disability organsiations and operators in order to discuss the specific situations at the National, regional and local level – and to find solutions together, adapted to your specific context and region.

Nothing About Us Without Us w w w. e d f - f e p h. o r g Thank you for your attention!