Transport for London has announced plans to make travelling easier for autistic people

Transport for London (TfL) have teamed up with the British Institute for Learning Disabilities (Bild) to help understand how they can make journeys easier for people with autism and/or learning difficulties.

The partnership has launched with a survey, which closes on 15^th January, delving into questions such as what barriers people face travelling around London and how TfL can improve the services it offers.

In addition to seeking the views of autistic people and those with a learning difficulty, the survey is also looking for people who don’t travel around London very often to also give their opinions on how transport could become more accessible.

Both TfL and Bild have also included People First in their journey to make travel easier in London.

‘Making London’s transport network more accessible for everyone is a top priority for the Mayor, so I’m pleased TfL has partnered with Bild and People First to better understand what it’s like to travel around London for people with autism, learning disabilities or difficulties,’ Seb Dance, deputy mayor for transport said. ‘I encourage everyone to complete the survey and ensure their views are heard so TfL can improve its services and continue build a fairer, more accessible London for everyone.’

Kate Brackley, Learning Disability Advisor at Bild, said: ‘For many people with learning disabilities transport is a big issue. As someone who has a learning disability, I have used transport in my life and yes, I do find things a bit difficult, but given the right support you can do anything! I recently used the Tube by myself for the first time, I’m not used to doing that and I was so pleased that I was confident and managed to do it.

‘Please tell us your thoughts by completing this survey about the things that you find difficult. Or if you are a parent of carer, please tell us how we can make things better.’

Image: Josh Wilburne

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