UNIACCESS

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UNIACCESS Towards universal accessibility in
public transport
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What?

• Universal access means access for everybody
• Should reduce difference between people
• Should reduce conflict between passenger groups
• Universal access DOES NOT mean that everything
  should be the same everywhere, local solutions
  may work well but standards are important

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Why?

• A large and growing percentage of the population
  experiences reduced mobility
• In the modern society, freedom is associated with
  ability to move
• opens the job market
• allows cultural activities
• shopping etc
• All in all Independent life means access to
  transportation! Public transportation.

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Why?

• Our society is committed to equality of
  opportunity

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Situation

• Public transport far from being universally
  accessible due to

• No accessibility provisions
• Discontinuity in accessibility provisions
• Accessible devices out of order
• Public attitudes (PT staff and passengers) to
  people with mobility difficulties
• Inclusive design principles more developed in
  building sector than transport sector

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Situation

• Specialised solutions for specialised needs have
  been tried for many years
• do not work well
• only work for some people
• are cumbersome for user and operator
• are costly
• and tend to go out of use after a while

• ... and the typical situation is still that
  public transportation is only accessible to
  people with high mobility

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Universal design

• A design philosophy which says that solutions
  must be found which are simple, robust and fit
  for all
• Universal accessibility is based on universal
  design

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Universal design

• Is based on 7 principles
• equitable use
• flexibility in use
• simple and intuitive
• perceptible information
• tolerance for error
• low physical effort
• size and space for approach and use

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UNIACCESS Design of Universal Accessibility
Systems for Public Transport SIXTH FRAMEWORK
PROGRAMME PRIORITY 6.2 Sustainable Surface
Transport FP6-2003-Transport-3
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UNIACCESS partners

• manufacturers
• CRF, SIEMENS
• user organizations
• ENIL, AGE, COCEMFE
• operators
• RATP
• authorities
• POLIS
• RD organizations
• GIAT, SINTEF

• a group of experts

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Main activities of Uniaccess

• To collect useful state-of-the-art knowledge for
  designing universal accessibility system for
  public transport.
• To produce a roadmap of future RD in universal
  accessibility
• To come up with new RD project proposals
• To define an improved collaborative innovation
  process
• To raise awareness of universal design

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State of the art infrastructure

• Design for all is changing the conditions
  regarding new infrastructure
• But old infrastructure is a problem, and will be
  there for a long time
• Upgrading old stations is expensive and difficult
• Furniture ...
• Verbal announcements vs noise ...
• Control gates ...

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State of the art vehicles

• Life of certain vehicles very long and
  retrofitting costly and not comprehensive
• Boarding and disembarking a challenge due to
  steps/gaps despite technological improvements
  EVEN IN NEW VEHICLES!
• Ramps cumbersome, slow, require driver
  assistance, irritate other passengers due to time
  lost

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State of the art legislation standards

• Legislation on public transport accessibility in
  Europe varies widely in scope and structure.
• Where legislation exists, it is not always
  adequately implemented due to lack of guidance,
  funding and enforcement.
• Absence of public transport accessibility
  standards industry is crying out for standards.
  
• Legislation standards alone will not deliver
  full accessibility. Policy and societal actions
  have role to play.

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State of the art society

• Lack of societal awareness
• Poor public transport staff attitudes towards PRM
• Significant cost for society connected to people
  with special needs due to necessity to use
  specialised transport - taxis, community buses,
  etc.

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Roadmap for future research and development
State of the art
Vision of the future
Requirements
Emerging concepts
ROADMAP
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Roadmap for future research and development

• The roadmap lists 33 problem areas
• Short term and long term actions on those areas
  are suggested
• Areas of needed research and development are
  pinpointed

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Collaborative processes
Our goal Establish a closer link between
stakeholders and define a new improved
collaborative innovation process.
How?

• A new definition of the design and development
  process
• Universal accessibility specialist
• Multistakeholders forum
• Advisory committee for transport authority

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Collaborative processes
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RD project proposals
Our goal Define new project proposals that carry
out the intentions of the roadmap of future RD
in the frame of the improved collaborative
process previously defined
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Dissemination awareness raising

• Quarterly newsletter
• Workshop for local authorities 20/21 March 06
• Key issues communication political support
• Adopting universal accessibility principles in
  public transport design and delivery
• Training manual
• Yesterdays training session
• UNIACCESS conference

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For more information

• Visit our Website
• http//www.uniaccessproject.org
• Contact project coordinator
• Sara Sillauren, Euve-Giat,
• email sillaurrens_at_euve.org