All aboard? The challenges faced by blind and partially sighted bus users in Wales
Research into the challenges faced by blind and partially sighted people making bus journeys in Wales.
Key findings
- Just one in 10 blind or partially sighted people can make all the journeys they want or need to by bus in Wales.
- Buses are a vital mode of transport for blind and partially sighted people to access work, healthcare, education, and community activities. Nearly half (43 per cent) find making familiar bus journeys either fairly or very difficult and this rose to nearly nine in ten (87 per cent) for unfamiliar journeys.
- Blind and partially sighted people face challenges at every stage of a bus journey, from planning their travel, to getting to the bus stop, and getting on and off the bus.
- Just two per cent can access timetables at bus stops.
- More than half (51 per cent) of respondents said that they had difficulty finding the correct bus stop when making familiar bus journeys. This rose to 61 per cent when making unfamiliar journeys.
- 80 per cent say that audio announcements are “sometimes, rarely, or never” present.
- Nearly three in four (71 per cent) say bus drivers don’t have suitable training to support blind and partially sighted people.
