As a regular commuter, Paul Goddard knows all too well the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with relying on rail passenger assistance as a blind person. In a damning report released by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), it’s revealed that half of blind and partially sighted individuals in the UK fear being stranded at train stations, feeling stressed and disoriented due to the unpredictability of their experiences.
Based on a survey of nearly 1,200 blind and partially sighted respondents, the charity found that three in four are unable to consistently rely on rail staff for assistance and information. More than 60% said they are not consistently met by staff when they had booked passenger assistance, and just 27% felt they could rely on staff to inform them of any changes to their train’s destination.
This lack of reliable support is a constant source of frustration for Goddard, who says he is “constantly failed by the assistance meant to help navigate stations and board trains.” He describes the experience as “incredibly dangerous” and making him feel very anxious when travelling. “I can’t relax, I’m thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, am I going to be met?’ And then when I’m pulling into London Bridge, I think, ‘here we go’, and you shouldn’t be left feeling like that.”
The findings echo the experiences of disability campaigner Lucy Edwards, who lost her vision at the age of 17. Edwards used to feel physically sick about leaving her front door, sometimes crying herself to sleep after difficult train journeys where she was left stranded. “Only one chink in the system has to fall and you can’t get on the train,” she said.
The Department for Transport’s recent decision to cancel plans to make 19 stations step-free has further angered disability advocates, who see it as a step backwards in accessibility. “It says we’re okay for disabled people to be late to meetings, to be late to work. It says that we don’t support disabled people, and we don’t necessarily value them as a functioning part of our society,” Edwards said.
A Department for Transport spokesperson acknowledged the importance of reliable assistance for blind and partially sighted passengers, stating that “everyone should be able to travel safely and with dignity.” However, the persistent challenges faced by these travellers suggest there is still significant work to be done to make Britain’s rail network truly inclusive.
