Travelling tips for disabled young people
Young people with disabilities are set to find it easier to travel around the borough with an exciting new project.
The council’s sustainable transport team Better by has trained eight ambassadors who will encourage and support people to travel independently.
The aim of the training was to empower and encourage young people to independently use sustainable transport to access education, employment and leisure facilities.
The ambassadors from special needs schools, The Prince’s Trust, Job Centre Plus, Turning Point, Autism Berkshire, NHS Mental Health teams and SEN colleges, completed a two day training programme by experts from Ealing Mencap Project Travel Skills.
The ambassadors were welcomed by Cllr Rob Anderson on the first day of training, which was a mix of theory, based at The Curve, and practical which took place on public transport in the town centre. Ambassadors were encouraged to consider the potential obstacles disabled young people face on public transport.
Such obstacles include not knowing what is expected of them like getting their payment out before boarding a bus and how to cope with bullying and abuse at bus stops.
Five key topics covered by the travel training programme were planning the safest route, road safety, asking for help, stranger awareness and problem solving.
Catherine Back, Ealing Mencap travel training manager, said independent travel was so important for young people and adults with additional needs.
She said: “It empowers them to become confident and enables them to make their own decisions, not just when traveling, as the skills learned are transferable in all areas of their lives.
“During the first day of training, we learned about planning a route and the issues people with additional needs face when traveling. The course attendees were then asked to plan their own route to a nearby destination and as they travelled the route they were to reflect on the issues they faced and how someone with additional needs or a learning disability might deal with the same problems.
“The training has been a great step towards promoting safe independent travel for people with a learning disability in Slough Borough Council.”
Ramandeep Gogna, Better by sustainable travel officer, said the eight ambassadors could help around 300 people as they take the training back to their own organisation to role play with their clients.
She said: “This is an excellent project to support young people, especially with disabilities, into jobs and training. Being able to travel on public transport is an essential skill for everyone.
“It offers numerous benefits to both the individual in accessing life opportunities as well as to the local environment we live in. Without this skill people with a learning disability are often unable to access the community and all it provides in terms of training, employment, leisure and social activities, fitness and friendships. Safe Sustainable Travel is positive for health, wealth and wellbeing.”
Cllr Rob Anderson, cabinet member for transport and environmental services, said: “There are obstacles to some people these ambassadors will reach, which others will never experience.
“Helping them access such a simple thing as public transport could open up other worlds for them which could include leisure, education or employment.”
The council’s sustainable transport team Better by has trained eight ambassadors who will encourage and support people to travel independently.
The aim of the training was to empower and encourage young people to independently use sustainable transport to access education, employment and leisure facilities.
The ambassadors from special needs schools, The Prince’s Trust, Job Centre Plus, Turning Point, Autism Berkshire, NHS Mental Health teams and SEN colleges, completed a two day training programme by experts from Ealing Mencap Project Travel Skills.
The ambassadors were welcomed by Cllr Rob Anderson on the first day of training, which was a mix of theory, based at The Curve, and practical which took place on public transport in the town centre. Ambassadors were encouraged to consider the potential obstacles disabled young people face on public transport.
Such obstacles include not knowing what is expected of them like getting their payment out before boarding a bus and how to cope with bullying and abuse at bus stops.
Five key topics covered by the travel training programme were planning the safest route, road safety, asking for help, stranger awareness and problem solving.
Catherine Back, Ealing Mencap travel training manager, said independent travel was so important for young people and adults with additional needs.
She said: “It empowers them to become confident and enables them to make their own decisions, not just when traveling, as the skills learned are transferable in all areas of their lives.
“During the first day of training, we learned about planning a route and the issues people with additional needs face when traveling. The course attendees were then asked to plan their own route to a nearby destination and as they travelled the route they were to reflect on the issues they faced and how someone with additional needs or a learning disability might deal with the same problems.
“The training has been a great step towards promoting safe independent travel for people with a learning disability in Slough Borough Council.”
Ramandeep Gogna, Better by sustainable travel officer, said the eight ambassadors could help around 300 people as they take the training back to their own organisation to role play with their clients.
She said: “This is an excellent project to support young people, especially with disabilities, into jobs and training. Being able to travel on public transport is an essential skill for everyone.
“It offers numerous benefits to both the individual in accessing life opportunities as well as to the local environment we live in. Without this skill people with a learning disability are often unable to access the community and all it provides in terms of training, employment, leisure and social activities, fitness and friendships. Safe Sustainable Travel is positive for health, wealth and wellbeing.”
Cllr Rob Anderson, cabinet member for transport and environmental services, said: “There are obstacles to some people these ambassadors will reach, which others will never experience.
“Helping them access such a simple thing as public transport could open up other worlds for them which could include leisure, education or employment.”
