This week, the Proudlock Associates team had the honour of attending the Accessible Transport Policy Commission’s Annual Reception, held in the Cholmondeley Room at the House of Lords and hosted by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Policy Connect. The event brought together leaders from across the transport, policy and accessibility sectors to reflect on progress made over the past year and to explore shared ambitions for a more accessible and inclusive transport system.
The evening opened with remarks from Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chair of the Accessible Transport Policy Commission, who reflected on the Commission’s work to date and the continued need to embed accessibility across transport policy and delivery. This was followed by Simon Lightwood MP, who spoke about forthcoming priorities including the accessibility roadmap for rail, strengthening the role of watchdogs, developments linked to the Bus Services Act, the National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT) Charter development, and the importance of an evidence-based regulatory framework as new technologies (such as self-driving cars) continue to develop.
We also had the opportunity to meet and hear from Emma Partlow for the first time in her role as the new CEO of NCAT. She shared her ambitions for the organisation, including strengthening complaints and accountability mechanisms, developing co-production toolkits for transport operators, and amplifying innovation and good practice across the sector.
Finally, Clive Gilbert, Head of Accessible Transport at Policy Connect, outlined the three policy pillars guiding the think tank’s work:
- Defining accessibility through the development and maintenance of national standards.
- Co-producing accessibility to ensure stronger involvement of disabled people in local decision-making.
- Embedding accessibility so that it becomes the rule rather than the exception across transport systems.
Speakers collectively emphasised that actively involving disabled people in transport decisions and placing lived experience at the centre of accessibility planning remains a critical gap and an urgent priority.
It was a great opportunity to connect with colleagues such as Kirsten Galea (Senior Inclusive Design Consultant at Motionspot) and Christiane Link (Founder & Director of Ortegalink Ltd), among many others, to exchange insights and reaffirm our collective commitment to making accessibility the rule, not the exception
Thank you to Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Policy Connect for such a valuable opportunity. We look forward to continue to be part of these important conversations.
