§ Mr. BoothTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on Government assistance towards access for blind people to all means of public transport. [18016]
§ Mr. NorrisThe needs of blind and partially sighted people have, over a number of years, been an integral part of the work to improve access to transport for disabled people. Many of the features which are now commonplace on our public transport systems—colour-contrasted step edges and handrails and the use of tactile indicators—have been developed and introduced in consultation with visually impaired people.
The regulations which will be introduced under the transport section of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will build on current developments to ensure that the needs of people with sensory impairments are addressed, in the same way as those of people with physical disabilities. Consultation with disabled people will be an essential element in the development of those regulations.
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