Annual Report 2000

Chair's Introduction

Transport and disability access were both high on the political agenda throughout 2000. This is reflected in this year's Annual Report. The high point of the year was the Government's proposals for investment of £180 billion over the next 10 years across all transport modes and the pedestrian environment. Lack of investment in vehicles and infrastructure have been acknowledged as barriers for both disabled and non-disabled people alike.

DPTAC was delighted when in July 2000, Ministers included a firm commitment in Transport 2010: The Government's 10 Year Plan for Transport that access for disabled people should be a condition of public investment. This reflected DPTAC advice based on the European Transport Ministers Charter on Accessible Transport (May 1999, reproduced at Appendix A).

With this commitment, disability access has moved out of a fixed disability budget into an essential component of any transport project. It will be a huge challenge for everyone involved to ensure that this commitment is delivered in every transport project at local level.

During the year it became clear that one of the barriers to funding access for disabled people was the definition of accessibility. The transport definition of accessibility has historically been concerned with how quickly people get from A to B rather than whether public and private transport or the pedestrian environment are easy to use.

DPTAC's definition of accessibility is that all disabled people can go where everyone else goes and that they can do so as easily and without extra cost. We plan to advise on investment appraisal criteria as they come up for revision. With Government investing billions on transport and the built environment over the next 10 years it is essential that full access for disabled people is understood and implemented effectively otherwise public investment may be wasted.

DPTAC has been concerned for some time that education and training of transport and built environment professionals may not be keeping pace with best practice and current thinking on meeting the transport and built environment needs of all disabled people.

Research commissioned by DPTAC during 2000 on the current situation revealed inconsistent approaches to access and a wide variety in quality of training available to organisations and service providers. This is such an important issue for disabled people that DPTAC will establish a dedicated working group to take the issues forward.

We were very pleased to be invited by Nick Raynsford, the then Minister for Planning and Construction to establish a high level Built Environment Working Group to advise on improving access to buildings for disabled people. Over time this will help Government and industry bring about much improved access for disabled people into all kinds of buildings, as well as making buildings easier for everyone to use.

During the year DPTAC considered how it could be more effective in promoting the needs of disabled people and sharing DPTAC advice and best practice with industry and disabled people at local level. We cannot afford to rely only on a "top down" approach if we are to achieve our objectives. We will develop this in the coming year.

None of DPTAC's work would have been possible without the enormous amount of time and effort throughout the year by working group chairmen, members of DPTAC and working groups as well the dedication of the DPTAC Secretariat led by the Secretary, John Nicholls. We also appreciate the invaluable support from our colleagues in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales, the Northern Ireland Executive, the Greater London Authority, as well as transport and the built environment industries.

The year 2000 has been a busy and fruitful year for DPTAC, and for transport generally, with the passing of the Transport Act 2000 one of many highlights. We now have in place the political commitment, legislation to back it up (although more is needed), and a genuine willingness by all parties to make transport better for everyone. We now have to deliver on that solid foundation if we are to achieve our goal - access for all.

Jane Wilmot

Published 20 July 2001

Top of page