We are a group of Paralympians and disability rights activists who are raising the money to set up a legal fund to help disabled people bring court cases to challenge discrimination they face on public transport.  

Please donate to this appeal and share on social media to help us stop public transport providers treating disabled people like second class customers. 

Our case

We all feel angry and frustrated when we cannot get where we need to be on time because of the problems with public transport.  For many disabled people it is part of everyday life because too often public transport providers do not see us as equal customers. The law says it should not be like this and we are raising money to hold public transport companies to account.

Being stranded on a train or forgotten on a plane wondering whether you would be able to get out at all because people who are meant to assist do not turn up, getting off the train only to find out the lift at the station is not working and there is no staff to call for help are some of the things that happen every day.  Wheelchairs or other aids which are our lifeline get lost or broken by airlines.  When we complain about our experiences, we get an apology, but nothing changes and the same problems happen again and again.  As a result many disabled people feel anxious every time they need to travel by public transport and some try to avoid it altogether.

Anne Wafula Strike

I am a Paralympian and disability rights activist.  I travel around the country regularly by train. As a wheelchair user, traveling can be a frustrating and sometimes humiliating experience.  I often face problems with getting on and off trains and not having access to a working toilet.

Many have heard of a particularly humiliating incident I had when I could not get access to a toilet on the train and had an accident.   I was so angry and felt like It was the last straw.  I decided to go public and launch legal action to ensure that nobody else has to go through the same experience. I wanted my local rail operator to care about their disabled customers and take their needs seriously.  I could not start a court case because of the financial risks I would face if the case was lost. My case attracted a lot of publicity and got settled without going to court. But I know, many disabled people in a similar situation will not be able to stand up for what is right and and so transport providers will continue treating us like second class citizens. I am determined to ensure this is not the case.  

 

Doug Paulley

As a wheelchair user I travel a lot by public transport and for many years I have been campaigning for its accessibility using different means, including legal action.  Transport providers have got away with poor treatment of disabled people for far too long, because enforcing the law is so difficult. If I'm given food poisoning by a kebab shop, I can report it to Environmental Health for action. If I'm discriminated against by a transport provider, the only way to enforce the law is for me to take individual legal action. Such is not easy and has risks; so it is very important that disabled people are given the backing they need to achieve change.

Our Plan 

For many disabled people it is impossible to challenge discrimination because we cannot afford to employ a solicitor, pay court fees or take a risk of having to pay the other party’s costs.  We are therefore launching this campaign to enable many more disabled people to hold public transport companies to account for discrimination we experience every day. 

We are setting up a legal fund administered by Inclusion London’s Disability Justice Project which will pay for legal costs in cases that will change policies and practice and make a real difference for many disabled people.  

We have big ambitions for our #TransportJustice campaign. Through strategic legal cases, backed up by publicity, advocacy and lobbying, we aim to ensure that all disabled people can travel around the UK without fear of transport discrimination.

Help us achieve #TransportJustice for disabled people.

Visit our  website to learn how the law protects disabled people from discrimination https://www.disabilityjustice.org.uk/