involving disabled in transport case study 2010 04

Involving the Disabled Community in Public Transport Provision in Greater Manchester - outlines how the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive GMPTE) has developed its Disability Equality Scheme and how the Scheme has paved the way for the involvement of disabled people in the planning of the Metrolink expansion through the Disability Design Reference Group (DDRG).

Following the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, GMPTE produced its own Disability Equality Scheme as part of the duty to promote equality for disabled people.  In order to develop the Scheme, GMPTE recruited a group of ‘Critical Friends' to help in the process of identifying actions to improve GMPTE's internal and external functions.

The Critical Friends were disabled people recruited from the Greater Manchester community. They received training and support to understand GMPTE's full range of functions and to use this knowledge to help draw up a three-year action plan for which forms the Disability Equality Scheme.

Following on from this work, GMPTE used the same model on involvement and recruited disabled people onto the DDRG as part of the Metrolink tram expansion into east Manchester. Learning from their the experiences of managing the Critical Friends when constructing the Disability Equality Scheme, GMPTE invited disability organisations from within the voluntary sector to bid to manage the recruitment and facilitation of the DDRG.

The DDRG is a group of 12 disabled people with a range of impairments who meet regularly.  Participants have the opportunity to speak to and question senior staff members who workdirectly as project staff on the Metrolink expansion.