[nfbwatlk] FW: [Wcb-l] From England: Blind and partially sighted people will take special bus journey

[Mike Freeman]

I have mixed emotions on this one. ON the one hand, the demands aren't
unreasonable. But some of the rhetoric is ... well. ... over-the-top. I
mean, boarding a bus? Paying for a ticket? But the basic problems of having
buses pass us up and of stops not being called -- these are, apparently,
universal plagues.

Mike Freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: Wcb-l [mailto:wcb-l-bounces at wcbinfo.org] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 7:00 AM
To: wcb
Subject: [Wcb-l] From England: Blind and partially sighted people will take
special bus journey




RNIB Bus Relay kicks off in Stoke for 'fortnight of action'

Blind and partially sighted people will undertake a special bus journey in
Stoke to demonstrate the barriers they face when travelling on buses.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People's (RNIB) bus relay is a series
of bus journeys across England as part of a fortnight of action. Each of the
nine regions will hold a relay journey to raise awareness for RNIB's Stop
for Me, Speak to Me bus campaign and to gather evidence in support of
mandatory training for bus drivers.

Starting off in Stoke on 19 July, these bus journeys will give the
passengers a chance to document their experiences and explain how important
accessible bus travel is to them. The views of passengers from all regions
will be compiled into a special audio document.

The final journey of the relay will finish with the handover of the audio
document and report to Norman Baker, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State
for Transport. These documents will provide essential evidence that will
hopefully encourage Norman Baker to push for mandatory training for bus
drivers when the Department of Transport reviews the issue next year.

Natalie Doig, RNIB Campaigns Officer, said: "Although these journeys are not
a traditional relay; they form a symbolic relay linking all the regions
within England and represent the handing over of shared experience and
evidence.

"We want to highlight that the problems blind and partially sighted people
face are often the same across the whole country.

"Catching a bus should not be a sight test. Local bus travel is a lifeline,
providing an important means of transport and we want operators to remember
one simple principle: Stop for me, Speak to me."

The event will kick off with bus drivers swapping places with blind people
and include tasks such as trying to board a bus and paying for a ticket. By
them experiencing first hand the barriers their blind and partially sighted
customers face when travelling on buses, it is hoped it will prompt
operators to take on board the campaign's key asks.

Tristram Hunt, MP for Stoke on Trent Central, will be attending to close the
event at 2.00pm.

Join our campaign. If you think blind or partially sighted people shouldn't
be left behind at bus stops visit www.rnib.org.uk/bus or call RNIB's
campaigns hotline on 020 7391 2123.

-END-

Notes to Editor:
For more information or to attend the event contact Rachel Cafferty, RNIB
Public Relations Officer, on 020 7391 2043 or rachel.cafferty at rnib.org.uk

On 19 July, bus drivers from First Bus, along with local blind and partially
sighted people, will attend the event at the First Bus Depot, Dividy Road,
Adderley Green, ST3 5YY from 11am.

Between June and September 2012 RNIB conducted a survey to find out the
views of blind and partially sighted bus users. In total there were 360
responses to the survey. The results showed:

  a.. 9 in 10 people with sight loss cannot see an approaching bus in time
to hail it
  b.. 8 in 10 people with sight loss say they miss the bus they want
  c.. 6 in 10 people said buses which stopped away from the official bus
stop caused them to often miss their bus or step off the bus into hazards
such as bins and lampposts
  d.. Over half of respondents said they had difficulty obtaining spoken
information from the driver such as the bus number and destination.
Contact: pressoffice at rnib.org.uk




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