The Community Transport Association (CTA) is delighted to announce it will be leading an exciting new research project, 'Creating connections: Reimagining inclusive transport for disabled children and young people’, funded by the Motability Foundation.

The project will explore how Community Transport can overcome barriers to travel for disabled children and young people. Working with Disabled People's Organisations (DPOs) disabled children, young people and their families to understand their needs and experiences, we will also be involving Community Transport Operators (CTOs) across the UK to co-develop solutions to transport barriers. 

CTA’s overarching aim is to provide solutions in the form of guidance to charities, operators and stakeholders that enables wider transport options for disabled children and young people. 

CTA Chief Executive Victoria Armstrong said:

“We are extremely proud to be undertaking this important research. After exploring the transport needs of disabled children and young people, we will work with Community Transport Operators to understand how our sector can help deliver the transport services these children and young people need”.

Lisa Jones, Director of Charitable Operations at the Motability Foundation, said:

“We hope this research from CTA will give a renewed focus on young disabled people’s needs and experiences using transport. It is important that the needs and experiences of young disabled people are understood across the community transport sector, so they can make the journeys they choose, and accessibility can be embedded into future modes of transport.”

Disabled people face a multitude of well-documented barriers to accessing regular and reliable transport. Often overlooked are the needs of the 1.2 million young disabled people aged 10 to 24 in England and Wales, who face similar but distinct challenges accessing social, health, educational and employment opportunities. 

This lack of access not only leads to social isolation and loneliness but also reduces educational and social opportunities for disabled children, with participation in afterschool clubs significantly lower compared to their non-disabled peers. In formal education settings, Councils spend millions transporting children with special educational needs and disability using taxi services. 

Equally, young disabled people frequently have limited transport options and can face physical exclusion from public transport where it exists or feel anxious when using public transport. Savanta’s latest research highlights the difficulties faced by disabled young people using public transport, which will provide valuable insight for this project.

This project will provide important evidence on the transport needs of disabled children and young people, collected and co-produced in close collaboration with passengers and their families, potential passengers, disability charities, Community Transport operators and statutory stakeholders. 

CTA’s research will expand the limited evidence base on the transport needs of disabled children and young people, focusing on how Community Transport operators currently meet or could meet these needs.

The findings of this research will be used to co-produce a suite of good practice guides, case studies and training resources for the sector, outlining the findings of the research together with guidance for providing Community Transport for disabled children and young people. 

Ultimately, the research needs to be recognised by statutory stakeholders and funders, so we will work in close partnership with relevant bodies to ensure that the solutions developed with passengers and operators are clearly communicated, with a pathway to being implemented.  

In the initial project phase, CTA will engage with the sector to gain a deeper understanding of current services. A brief operator survey will be conducted in late spring.

CTA will also be looking for partners to work with on this project, both Community Transport operators who currently provide services for disabled children and young people and those who are considering this in the future. If you are interested in taking part, please contact [email protected] 

Throughout the project CTA will be sharing regular updates, emerging findings and stories. CTA hopes that you will find these accounts interesting and inspiring and if you have your own stories to contribute, they’d love to hear from you.