Shared by Learning Disability Today
The government has announced a £2.5 million funding package which will support people with disabilities to travel more confidently on public transport.
The funding includes £1.5 million to support 13 Mobility Centres across England and £1 million for lifeline ferries and seaports serving the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly.
The Accessibility Minister, Wendy Morton said the money will “help people to access services… and scale up and extend the services [the government] has been piloting.”
“It is really important that through public transport, people are able to have the independence to travel around the country, go to work, go to social events and meet with friends and family.”
Enabling people to travel if they cannot drive
£1.5m has been awarded to Driving Mobility, the national charity that coordinates driving and mobility assessment centres across the UK.
This follows Driving Mobility’s pilot of its ‘HUBs’ accessible travel information service, which the charity is now hoping to expand on with its newfound funding.
The funding will see 13 Mobility Centres in the UK rollout a ‘Hubs Mobility Service’, which will help people with disabilities to travel the country even if they are unable to drive.
The service works by offering people advice on things like passenger assistance, route planning and mobility equipment hire, as well as signposting them to support services.
