This month, Metlink presented its proposed Accessibility Action Plan to regional councillors of the Transport Committee.

Metlink says that it sought an accessible perspective in developing the plan, with 12 months of co-design and in-depth in-person engagement with disabled individuals, advocates and frontline staff, as well as the council’s own advisory group.

“Officers were very deliberate with this engagement, with a guiding principle of ‘nothing about us without us’. The Plan’s insights from those who will benefit directly from its programme of work are critical,” says Bonnie Parfitt, Metlink Network and Customer Senior Manager.

Work in this space is underway, with some initiatives being rolled out across the network with a new on-bus announcement system and a newly upgraded website and app to align with the latest accessibility standards.

Further planned initiatives, with some to begin as early as 2024, include an accessibility training programme, awareness of hidden disabilities and stop and station accessibility improvements.

Read more about Metlink’s Accessibility Action Plan.