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Christiane Link
Highlights
Yesterday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Channel4 about Tanni Grey-Thompson's experience that she had to crawl off a train,
"I think she's absolutely right to highlight it. She's obviously gone out there to explain what happened to her, how she felt about it. Disgraceful, unacceptable. I'm glad she spoke out because I know that for that one example, there are many, many other examples where people with disabilities have not been able to access transport or other facilities, frankly. We've got to stop that. And it seems to me pretty basic that if you're running a train, in this particular case, you've got to have the facilities for ensuring that people with disabilities can get on and off the train. Otherwise, you shouldn't be running the train. So as we reform the railways, yes, of course, that will be in our sights. But I don't wait that long. I think that this should be a basic requirement. I'm very pleased and happy to go out and make that clear, whether it's trains or other forms of transport. We shouldn't do anything other than be absolutely clear, whether it's planes or trains or any transport. You shouldn't be able to carry people from place to place if you haven't got the facilities to ensure everybody can get safely on and off the train or plane or whatever it may be."
This is a very underreported statement because it could be ground-breaking. The drive for accessibility has to come from the top. It won't happen otherwise. And that a Prime Minister speaks about the lack of accessibility in transport is new.
This is not a party political issue - far from it. We had a similar situation with Crossrail. The original (already approved) plan was NOT to install lifts at every station. The campaigning of disabled people was successful after a statement by the then Mayor, Boris Johnson, and later, the DfT released the funding for additional lifts.
I hope the PM's statement can generate a similar drive. If the PM thinks accessible travel is a basic requirement, train operators must deliver it. "You shouldn't be able to carry people from place to place if you haven't got the facilities to ensure everybody can get safely on and off the train or plane or whatever it may be" is a powerful statement that could help to reach better equality in transport.
Do you know the secret behind German efficiency? Name the problem, search for a solution and then fix it.
So there is no secret, really; it’s just the way how things are communicated. Direct, no beating around the bush, not blaming the messenger.
There is not much I dislike more than silencing people for raising a problem. It can’t be fixed if people don’t say what’s wrong. Nothing is more important for accessibility than speaking up about what could be better.
I was concerned reading this article this morning; that’s not how to fix the railway. It also creates a generational problem. Railway dinosaurs can’t just lead as if it’s still 1987. The younger generations won’t play ball. This is not how to manage people in 2024 and how to establish a safety-first culture. It will also alienate young people who follow Gareth’s YouTube channel and make a career decision. The future of the railway industry relies on knowledgeable and passionate railway engineers and others.
Most importantly, fear of speaking up stops innovation and inclusion. It makes people freeze, not act. Nobody will go the extra mile. Too dangerous. Nobody will raise an issue that could be fixed.
It sends the railway industry into a backward spiral at a time when nothing more is needed than empathic leadership and people who inspire the next generations to create a better railway.
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Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
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