Nine-in-ten disabled people face barriers while using UK transport

More than 90% of disabled people face barriers when using at least one mode of transport, according to data from the National Centre for Accessible Transport. When accessing rail services alone, eight-in-ten people using wheelchairs or scooters found barriers to step-free access.

Recent years have seen public and private entities play lip-service to accessibility in the transport sector – but recent data suggests there is still a long way to go, in terms of accommodating the needs of disabled people in the UK. Amid government audits of transport networks, and whitepapers from businesses proclaiming the ways in which new technology like AI is going to make travel more inclusive than ever, 92% of disabled people still face barriers when using at least one mode of transport.

Speaking to the National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT), respondents painted a less-than flattering picture of the country’s transport networks. Among the biggest obstacles noted in public spaces were inaccessible streets and pavements, preventing pedestrians from travelling to certain parts of the community even when they weren’t using any form of engine-based transport.

The data is now available to the public via NCAT’s website, and an interactive dashboard which showcases the transport experiences of 1,195 disabled people from the Community of Accessible Transport (CAT) panel. There, users can search by categories such as access needs, impairment, transport modes, region, gender, and age – and also access a database that includes 1,274 searchable comments from participants about their experiences.

Applying the filter to the UK’s rail network, for example, a number of issues – which might be taken for granted as things a station or service provider would do to fulfil accessibility policies – appear to be common. In one instance, around 82% of disabled people requiring wheelchair, scooter or cycle access on the UK’s rail network found barriers relating to step-free access on or off a vehicle. Meanwhile, 66% noted that they had experienced barriers relating to step-free stations, and just under 62% said they had encountered barriers to using staff assistance.

Elsewhere, people using a support dog to navigate stations also encountered problems using staff assistance, with almost 82% reporting as much. A further 73% of that group reported barriers to accessing information while on a vehicle, and 64% noted they had encountered barriers with step-free access to vehicles.

Overall, a 77% majority of respondents said these barriers negatively affect their physical or mental well-being. On top of that, 75% reported feeling stressed when travelling.

Clive Gilbert from the Accessible Transport Policy Commission commented, “2025 promises to be an important year for transport policy across the UK. The Accessible Transport Policy Commission looks forward to using the evidence gathered by NCAT to ensure disabled people’s voices are heard in city halls, legislatures, and government offices across the country.”

The Accessible Transport Policy Commission was established to guide policy decisions and to be a bridge between NCAT and policymakers. The last 12 months have seen the commission engage with national policymakers, including the former secretary of state for transport, Louise Haigh, and united local government leaders, around the Accessible Transport Charter.