Research project presenter: Abby Harris, Principal Consultant at WSP in the UK & Ireland,
Expert panel:
- Alison Smith, Head of Accessibility and Inclusion, Network Rail
- Barclay Davies OBE CMILT, Director, Bus Users UK
- Dr Melinda Matyas, Associate Director, Future Mobility, WSP
- Steve Wilson, Accessibility and Assisted Travel Manager, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays
Moderator: Dr Emma Partlow, ncat Chief Executive Officer
Overview
More than 125 transport professionals, policymakers, accessibility specialists, researchers and disabled people’s organisations joined ncat’s recent webinar to explore a critical question:
How can accessibility become a stronger investment priority across transport systems?
The online event brought together experts from rail, bus, aviation, future mobility and accessibility to discuss the findings of the Economic Benefits of Accessible Transport research, explore mode-specific accessibility challenges and consider how organisations can work together to turn evidence into practical action.
While the discussion focused on economic benefits, one message remained consistent throughout: accessibility cannot be valued solely through economic measures. Rather, economic evidence should strengthen the case for action alongside social, ethical and legal responsibilities.
Accessibility must move beyond compliance
Panellists reflected on the fact that accessibility is often viewed as a regulatory requirement or cost rather than a strategic investment. While challenges vary across transport modes, there was broad agreement that greater collaboration between organisations, sectors and transport modes is needed to drive more consistent accessibility improvements.
Research presented by Abby Harris, Principal Consultant at WSP in the UK & Ireland, highlighted that many existing appraisal and business case processes do not capture the full value of accessibility. Confidence to travel, opportunities to access employment and healthcare, and the potential reduction in social isolation and loneliness can be difficult to quantify, despite their importance to disabled people’s everyday lives.
Drawing on experience from the rail sector, Alison Smith, Head of Accessibility and Inclusion, Network Rail, reflected on the importance of embedding accessibility into organisational decision-making from the outset, ensuring that accessibility is considered as part of wider business planning rather than being treated as a separate workstream.
The discussion, moderated by Dr Emma Partlow, ncat Chief Executive Officer, highlighted that while compliance remains important, accessibility should also be recognised as a contributor to customer experience, workforce participation, organisational performance and long-term sustainability.
The value of accessible transport extends far beyond transport
The panel explored how improving accessibility is more than removing barriers on individual journeys. Accessible transport can enable disabled people to travel when, how and where they choose, supporting greater independence, participation and access to opportunities across all aspects of life.
Barclay Davies, Director at Bus Users UK, highlighted the important role that accessible bus services play in connecting people to employment, education, healthcare and local communities. He noted that transport accessibility has implications that extend far beyond the transport sector itself, influencing social participation, independence and quality of life.
The discussion focused on how accessible transport supports access to employment, education, healthcare, community participation and social connection. Panellists agreed that when accessibility improves, the benefits are felt across communities, public services and the wider economy.
Evidence remains essential
A key finding from the research was the continuing lack of robust evidence available to support accessibility in business cases. Challenges identified included limited data on disrupted or abandoned journeys, suppressed demand, and the cumulative impact of transport barriers on everyday participation. The discussion also highlighted the difficulty of capturing wider social and economic impacts, including effects on employment, health, wellbeing and social connection.
Dr. Melinda Matyas Associate Director, Future Mobility, WSP reflected on the need for stronger evidence, evaluation and appraisal approaches that better recognise the wider economic and social value created through accessibility improvements. She highlighted the importance of ensuring future investment decisions are informed by a fuller understanding of the outcomes accessibility can deliver.
Panellists recognised that organisations often need stronger evidence to justify investment decisions, particularly when accessibility projects are competing against other priorities. The discussion highlighted the importance of sharing data, publishing learning from completed schemes and building a stronger evidence base that can support future decision-making.
There was broad agreement that research such as the Economic Benefits of Accessible Transport report provides valuable capability for the sector by helping organisations better understand and articulate the value created through accessibility improvements.
Creating inclusive end-to-end journeys
The panel also considered what successful end-to-end journeys look like and where the greatest opportunities for improvement exist.
Key areas identified included more reliable and coordinated assistance services, accurate and accessible travel information, better connections between transport modes, removal of physical barriers, earlier consideration of accessibility within planning and procurement processes, and greater consistency of experience regardless of transport mode or location.
Drawing on experience within aviation, Steve Wilson, Accessibility and Assisted Travel Manager, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, highlighted the importance of consistency and reliability across the whole journey experience. He reflected on the challenges that can arise when passengers move between different services, operators and environments, reinforcing the need for greater coordination across the transport system.
A strong theme emerging from the discussion was that many barriers emerge at the points where journeys connect. Improving one part of a journey in isolation is unlikely to deliver the level of change disabled people require if barriers remain elsewhere in the travel experience.
Leadership and culture matter
Transport accessibility was described not as a specialist issue sitting within a single team, but as a responsibility that should be embedded across organisations and championed at senior leadership level.
Panellists emphasised that accessibility outcomes are often shaped as much by organisational culture, leadership and decision-making as by infrastructure or technology. Creating lasting change requires accessibility to be considered throughout planning, investment and service delivery processes.
The conversation also highlighted the importance of bringing together operators, policymakers, disabled people’s organisations and accessibility specialists to share learning, strengthen collaboration and drive progress.
The role of disabled people in shaping solutions
Panellists emphasised the value of co-production and the need for disabled people to be involved from the earliest stages of scheme development, policy design and service planning.
Meaningful involvement was viewed as essential to ensuring that investment decisions lead to practical improvements, reflect real-world experiences and help avoid the costs of retrofitting solutions later.
There was broad agreement that disabled people’s lived experience should be recognised as a valuable source of expertise that can support better decision-making and more effective outcomes.
Themes emerging from audience pre submitted questions and comments
Alongside the panel discussion, members of the audience highlighted several additional considerations for future research, policy and investment.
Participants emphasised the importance of continuing to strengthen the evidence base for accessibility, including exploring how wider wellbeing, health and social outcomes can be recognised within appraisal and investment processes.
Comments also highlighted the role of monitoring and evaluation programmes in building evidence, testing new approaches and supporting future investment decisions.
Attendees drew attention to the experiences of people who use door-to-door transport services, community transport including access to wheelchair accessible vehicles, noting the impact that availability, reliability and capacity can have on people’s ability to access everyday opportunities and maintain social connections.
A further theme was the importance of recognising the diversity of disabled people’s experiences and ensuring that future research, policy and service design reflect the needs of a wide range of people with different impairments and experiences.
Participants also highlighted the value of bringing together a broader range of organisations and service providers in future discussions. Accessibility is influenced by multiple parts of the transport ecosystem, requiring collaboration across operators, service providers, policymakers, employers and disabled people themselves.
Looking ahead
The webinar concluded with a clear call to move from evidence to action.
While progress is being made across parts of the transport sector, significant challenges remain in how accessibility is funded, appraised, prioritised and delivered.
The Economic Benefits of Accessible Transport research provides an important contribution to this conversation by demonstrating that accessibility should be recognised as both a social good and a strategic investment.
For ncat, this work represents part of a wider programme focused on strengthening the evidence base, convening decision-makers and supporting collaboration across the sector. Through research, engagement and partnership working, ncat will continue to help translate evidence into practical action, ensuring accessibility is recognised as a high-value investment that improves transport experiences and outcomes for disabled people.
ncat would like to thank all the panelists and attendees for their time, participation and insights.
Get in touch
In relation to this topic, what evidence, information, resources, or tools would most help you and your stakeholders take this work forward? Email us via, info@ncat.uk or join our mailing list by clicking this link.
