Accessible transport is not accessible AT ALL – with 92% of disabled people now facing barriers

The National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT) has found that 92% of disabled people they spoke with face barriers when using at least one mode of transport, with inaccessible streets and pavements being the biggest obstacles in public spaces.

Additionally, 77% of respondents said these barriers negatively affect their physical or mental well-being, and 75% reported feeling stressed when travelling.

The data comes from NCAT’s Transport Barriers Database, an innovative open-source dashboard designed to inform industry professionals and policymakers. This searchable tool provides crucial evidence of the transport challenges disabled people face across the UK.

Accessible transport: not accessible at all

The interactive dashboard showcases the transport experiences of 1,195 disabled people from the Community of Accessible Transport (CAT) panel. Users can search by categories such as access needs, impairment, transport modes, region, gender, and age. The database also includes 1,274 searchable comments from participants about their experiences.

Key findings already include:

• Disabled people do not think transport is accessible. Most do not think this will change in the next 10 years.
• Disabled people experience barriers when travelling. 92% face barrier(s) on at least one mode of transport.
• Inaccessible transport makes disabled people travel less, and it makes journeys take longer.
• Disabled people face many barriers when they travel. These include badly designed and cluttered streets, unreliable step-free access, and poor staff assistance.

NCAT’s recent Accessible Transport Summit emphasised that the voices and experiences of disabled people must be central to any meaningful research and improvements in transport accessibility. The database aims to amplify the experiences of disabled people to guide policy, funding decisions, and research priorities.

NCAT’s evidence will be used

The Accessible Transport Policy Commission was established to guide policy decisions and to be a bridge between NCAT and policymakers.

The Commission consists of a cross-party group from both Houses of Parliament. They are committed to eliminating transport barriers for disabled people across the UK.

Over the past year, the Commission has engaged with national policymakers, including the former secretary of state for transport, Louise Haigh, and united local government leaders, around the Accessible Transport Charter. They have also highlighted good practices in co-production.

Clive Gilbert from the Accessible Transport Policy Commission says:

2025 promises to be an important year for transport policy across the UK. The Accessible Transport Policy Commission looks forward to using the evidence gathered by NCAT to ensure disabled people’s voices are heard in city halls, legislatures, and government offices across the country.

If you are a disabled person or a transport professional, you can sign up here for our CAT Panel to participate in our research and help shape the future work of NCAT.

Featured image via NCAT