Celebrating Differences: Inclusive Travel

Celebrating Differences: Inclusive Travel, your rights, support, and practical resources to help make journeys more accessible across Staffordshire.

Contents

Resources for Transport Operators and Drivers

Providing accessible, inclusive transport isn’t just good practice. It transforms journeys and helps every passenger travel with confidence.

To help you understand inclusive travel and why it’s important, we have brought together a range of resources. These are aimed at:

  • Bus and taxi operators
  • Transport managers
  • Front-line bus and taxi drivers

Here you’ll find practical training materials, real-life experiences, and nationally recognised schemes to help you:

  • Improve customer service and communication
  • Understand the barriers faced by disabled passengers
  • Build confidence when assisting people with sensory needs, such as sight and hearing loss
  • Strengthen your personal and organisation’s commitment to inclusive travel

Accessible Travel Case Studies

Paul, Nicola and Lachlan share their experiences of using bus services within Staffordshire.

Lachlan

Lachlan relies on buses to get to his volunteering roles. This gives him freedom and independence.

He shares what works well and what could be better to make bus travel more accessible.

Paul 

Paul, who is blind, shares how he has built confidence using public transport and the challenges that come with it.

From navigating bus stops to planning journeys, his story shows how small actions from drivers can make a big difference.

He also explains how digital tools help him travel more independently.

Nicola 

Nicola shares her experience of living with a physical disability and travelling around Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

She explains why bus stop infrastructure must meet Disability Discrimination Act standards and what happens when it doesn’t.

She shares how simple issues, like a stop bell not working, can affect a journey.

Nicola also shows how a patient and understanding driver can improve safety and comfort.

Staffordshire’s accessible travel app 

Staffordshire County Council have commissioned local media company, JMW Services Ltd, to design an app that supports people with disabilities. Ranging from learning disabilities, blind or partially sighted to Neurodivergent individuals, the app helps them to access buses across Staffordshire by tracking buses and bus stop locations across Staffordshire. 

Members of the Celebrating Differences campaign went along to the JMW Services Ltd to support the development of the app and share lived experience insights to ensure the app is fit for purpose. 

Cabability

Inclusive transport isn’t just about the vehicle. It’s about people.

It means understanding different needs and thinking about the whole journey, from booking through to arrival.

Across the taxi sector, there are good examples of this in practice. Here, local taxi company Cabability share simple and practical principles that any operator can use.

Cabability share the reason they support inclusive travel especially for wheelchair users.

Travel Resources

The Sunflower Scheme

The Sunflower Scheme, also known as the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, allows people with non-visible disabilities to show they may need extra time, support or understanding.

The scheme aims to “make the invisible visible” by giving people a simple way to communicate their needs.

Hidden disabilities can include autism, chronic pain, anxiety, hearing loss, diabetes and neurological conditions. These may not be obvious but can affect everyday life.

Wearing the sunflower can help reduce misunderstandings, support positive interactions, and encourage more awareness.

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower

Travel Assistance Cards

Staffordshire County Council has worked with disability groups across the county to design travel assistance cards.

They allow you to show a card to a driver or member of staff to ask for extra help without needing to say it out loud

The cards can be:

  • printed at home
  • saved on a mobile device
  • collected from a local library

Here Lisa, from our Transport Team, explains how the cards work and how to use them.

Training Tools and Programmes

REAL Disability Equality Training Programme

The REAL disability equality training programme has been created on behalf of the Department for Transport. It helps improve confidence and skills when supporting disabled passengers.

The training is based on two key values:

  • Respect
  • Empathy

It also focuses on two simple actions:

  • Ask
  • Listen

The modules were developed with transport professionals and people with lived experience of disability.

REAL training: introduction and all transport modes modules - GOV.UK

Staffordshire Sight Loss Council

Staffordshire Sight Loss Council (SLC) is a regional group led by blind and partially sighted volunteers. They use their lived experience to improve access to services, including transport.

They work with operators to support training for bus and coach drivers.

This training provides practical guidance to help drivers support blind and partially sighted passengers. Thomas Pocklington Trust

Transport for West Midlands Training Videos

The Welcome Aboard video series helps drivers, operators and frontline staff feel more confident when supporting people with different needs.

Each video focuses on a type of need and gives practical guidance on how to provide safe and respectful support.

These videos help you to:

  • Recognise different types of hidden and visible disabilities
  • Communicate clearly and confidently
  • Understand common barriers
  • Provide supportive, person-centred assistance
  • Create a more inclusive travel experience

Explore the videos below to build your understanding and improve your service.