30.8Orientation, Information, and Evaluation

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations, 1938–

For information on customer communications, see Chapter 10: Public Participation; this section details elements specific to accessibility to information.

Opening day on an accessible BRT system may be the first time some customers with special needs have been on a public transport vehicle. Orientation may be needed for such persons (Public Transport Access Training Toolkit, World Bank, 2009). During the orientation there are a couple of methods to consider that wheelchair users might use to cross the platform-to-vehicle gap:

  • Some wheelchair users will back over the gap so that the typically larger back wheels cross first, making it easier for the smaller front wheels to cross.
  • Others may find it convenient to have a station assistant or friend assist by pushing their chair across the gap while pressing down on the back of the chair to reduce pressure on the smaller front wheels while they cross the gap.

Blind persons also benefit from the opportunity to familiarize themselves with vehicles and public transport stations before using them for the first time in revenue service. See the Public Transport Access Training Toolkit (World Bank, 2009) for methods to familiarize the general public, public transport staff, and persons with disabilities in the use of public transport systems by persons with limited mobility. Additionally, travel orientation opportunities provide a chance to generate favorable media attention prior to initiating service.

Marketing and public information requirements for those with special needs should be available in alternative formats. Focus groups or advisory committees can advise.

  • Large-print brochures;
  • Timetables and maps in Braille;
  • Tactile maps of routes and stations;
  • Accessible website;
  • Text phones;
  • E-mail and social media;
  • Accessible smartphone apps.

Any large public transport system needs a contact telephone number for complaints and compliments. Phone numbers should be displayed on vehicles and in stations, as well as included in brochures or other public information. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing need to be able to text the public transport agency. Complaint and compliment data should be directed to the different stakeholders in the system, including persons with disabilities serving on advisory committees. Such transparency can increase confidence and improve the working relationship between the public transport operator and agencies representing customers with special needs.

A centrally located office may be provided for customer service, accessible to wheelchair users.

An accessible website should be provided, with large, high-contrast text and software that can be used by persons with different types of disabilities. Photos and animations that interfere with navigating the site should be replaced by text explanations (World Wide Web Consortium 2016). Increasingly, public transport operators are able to communicate service announcements in real time using social media.

A public education program is often helpful to orient the public to the principles of independent living. The public needs to learn that disabled persons are usually not accompanied by attendants. The public also needs to be educated to yield priority seats and wheelchair-securement areas. Public education can include messages included in the electronic signage in stations and vehicles; TV and radio announcements; and flyers distributed to customers, supplemented by well-publicized events involving persons with disabilities and local officials. Sample public service announcements are found in Section 4 of the Public Transport Access Training Toolkit.