BLAZING A TRAIL FOR COMMUTERS; I can do that!Byline: TOM DOWLING WHEN it comes to providing public transport for disabled people Merseytravel is among the best in the country. But the situation across the rest of Britain still leaves a lot to be desired. A new report presented to Parliament this week claims that disabled commuters are being forced to pay more for an "inconsistent and inaccessible national public transport system." The Muscular Dystrophy muscular dystrophy (dĭs`trōfē), any of several inherited diseases characterized by progressive wasting of the skeletal muscles. There are five main forms of the disease. Campaign's report, End of the Line, includes over 200 mystery commuter journeys, undertaken by Trailblazers, the charity's nationwide network of 16 to 30-year-olds who are fighting for the rights of young disabled people. Their report says that wheelchair wheel·chair or wheel chair n. A chair mounted on large wheels for the use of a sick or disabled person. wheelchair, n users are forced to pay more to use public transport than their non-disabled peers. A typical train journey from London to Manchester with a Disabled Adult's Railcard railcard Noun Brit an identity card, which pensioners or young people can buy, entitling them to cheaper rail travel railcard n (BRIT) → tarjeta para obtener descuentos en el tren; costs pounds 35.65 while a typical coach journey - mostly inaccessible for wheelchair-users - would cost just pounds 13.20. Half of trains and stations also lack basic disabled facilities, the report said. The mystery commuters were also unable to board the first bus, which arrived at a bus stop, either due to, damaged ramps or the wheelchair spaces on the buses being occupied by prams , or the driver failing to stop. The report also states that two out of five of the disabled commuters were forced to pay more to use a wheelchair accessible taxi for journeys in the city, compared with their non-disabled peers who can uses buses. Trailblazer Jessica Berry, 19, who has limb girdle girdle /gir·dle/ (gir´d'l) cingulum; an encircling structure or part; anything encircling a body. pectoral girdle shoulder g. muscular dystrophy, said: "Most people find it easy to get around and be independent, but when you are disabled simple tasks like travelling spontaneously can be extremely difficult. "It's incredible that transport providers think the level of service they currently provide for disabled commuters is good enough. "The End of the Line report shows there is still a long way to go before the transport system in the UK really is accessible." The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is a British medical research charity dedicated to the curing of the neurological condition muscular dystrophy. In 2003 it was the supermarket chain Somerfield's charity of the year External link
Visit www.muscular-dystrophy. org/trailblazers |
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