Disability Together
Disability Together is a disabled people’s charity that works alongside disabled people, communities and service providers to remove barriers and create more inclusive environments. Through the Scaling Innovation Programme, the charity developed a full day disability awareness training course for bus drivers, designed to improve understanding, confidence and interactions between drivers and disabled passengers.
The project responds to a challenge highlighted by ncat research, which found that 46% of disabled people identified driver and public attitudes as a barrier to using public transport. While buses play an important role in supporting access to employment, education, healthcare and community life, negative interactions can reduce confidence and discourage people from travelling.
The Challenge
Creating accessible transport is about more than vehicles and infrastructure. The attitudes, understanding and behaviours of people across the transport network can have a significant impact on whether journeys feel welcoming, safe and accessible.
Through its ongoing work with disabled people, Disability Together repeatedly heard how positive interactions with bus drivers could transform a journey, while poor communication, misunderstandings or a lack of awareness could create barriers. These experiences were reinforced through the organisation’s Devon Disability Voice engagement group and wider transport projects involving more than 100 disabled people.
The organisation identified an opportunity to develop a training programme that would help bus drivers better understand disabled passengers’ experiences and provide practical tools to support more inclusive journeys.
Developing the Training
The project focused on creating a full-day disability awareness training course tailored specifically to the realities of bus travel.
Working alongside bus operators, customer service teams and training managers, Disability Together developed a seven-hour programme that combines practical guidance, real-life scenarios and lived experience. The course was designed to build drivers’ confidence and understanding while providing practical approaches to supporting disabled passengers in a range of situations.
A key objective was to secure Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) accreditation, enabling drivers to gain recognised training hours as part of their mandatory professional development requirements. This approach increases the likelihood of participation and supports wider adoption across the sector.
The training also includes video content featuring disabled people sharing their experiences of travelling by bus, helping drivers understand how their actions and decisions can influence passenger confidence, independence and overall travel experience.
Working with Disabled People
Co-production sat at the heart of the project.
Disabled people were involved throughout the planning, design and development of the training. Through the Devon Disability Voice engagement group and one-to-one conversations, participants shared their experiences of using buses and identified the issues they wanted drivers to better understand. These insights formed the foundation of the training content.
The project also recruited five Experts by Experience representing a diverse range of disabilities. Their stories and perspectives were captured through video testimonies that now form part of the training programme. By embedding lived experience throughout the course, the project ensures that disability awareness is grounded in real-world experiences rather than assumptions.
Alongside disabled passengers, the project engaged closely with bus operators including Stagecoach South West and Plymouth Citybus, part of Go South. This collaborative approach helped ensure the training reflected operational realities while maintaining a strong focus on accessibility and inclusion.
Impact
The project has demonstrated the value of combining lived experience, co-production and professional training to improve transport accessibility.
Early results from related disability awareness training delivered by Disability Together showed strong improvements in driver confidence and understanding. Participants reported increased awareness of disabled passengers’ needs and greater confidence in providing support, while also identifying practical actions they could take to make services more accessible.
The project has also strengthened relationships between disabled people, bus operators and local authorities, creating new opportunities for collaboration and influence. Through this work, Disability Together has contributed to wider conversations about accessibility, customer experience and inclusive transport services across the South West.
What Happens Next?
The next stage of the project was the pilot delivery of the seven-hour training course, followed by final Driver CPC accreditation. Now accredited, Disability Together is working with Torbay Council to roll out the training to the bus drivers in Torbay, as well as starting discussing with Devon County Council. They also plan to promote the programme more widely across the transport sector and explore opportunities to adapt the training for other modes of transport, including rail and taxis.
Future plans also include developing online learning options and train-the-trainer packages to increase reach and accessibility. By placing disabled people’s experiences at the centre of learning and development, the project demonstrates how culture change and greater understanding can help create more accessible and inclusive public transport services.
To find out more about the Driver Training programme
For more information or to enquire about the driver training please visit the website via the link below
https://disabilitytogether.org.uk/business/dvsa-accredited-bus-driver-training/