Audio guides for railway stations and trains, aimed at improving accessibility for blind and partially sighted passengers, have been published on the Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern websites.
Audio guides: Thameslink’s Antony Merlyn (left) and Sight Loss Council’s Dave Smith (third from left) with volunteers
Written by Sight Loss Council volunteers and accessibility managers at Greater Thameslink Railway, the guides help disabled passengers familiarise themselves with station and train layouts, key facilities and important navigation points before they travel.
Dave Smith, the Sight Loss Council engagement manager for south-east England at national sight loss charity Thomas Pocklington Trust, said: “As blind and partially sighted people, we rely heavily on public transport to access work and medical and social appointments. These guides we’ve developed with GTR will make rail travel so much easier.”
The audio guides have been written for six stations:
- Brighton
- Eastbourne
- London Blackfriars
- Sutton
- Stevenage
- Luton Parkway
Guides have also been written for Thameslink’s trains and most of those operated by Southern, as well as for carriages running in and out of Moorgate on Great Northern.
They can be found on the “Support whilst you’re travelling” pages of the Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern websites. They complement other resources including the Easy Ticket and Easy Train Travel guides, aimed at neurodiverse customers, as well as a Travel Support Card for people who need assistance but find it hard to ask for help.
Antony Merlyn, from Thameslink, said: “We hope these guides, alongside the free use of the Aira navigation app and numerous Try a Train events we have hosted over the past year provide blind and partially sighted people with added confidence to travel with us.”
To support the launch, Sight Loss Councils and GTR will host events at the six stations featured in the guides, helping blind and partially sighted passengers build confidence travelling by rail and share feedback on the new resources.
- For more information and booking, visit: www.sightlosscouncils.org.uk/events
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