Disability Rights Awareness Month: What is universal access?
In the photo: Minibus hoist: The minibus has been equipped with a hydraulic hoist giving access to passengers with mobility impairment.
“Universal access” (UA) is a familiar term in the sphere of disability and certainly a buzzword in the public transport industry, including the GO GEORGE bus service. If you don’t move in these circles, you might think that it refers to access to anywhere in the universe. It is, however, important that every citizen should understand the term and how it fits into the picture and expectations for society to create and provide “universal access”.
Equal opportunity
Universal access refers to the ability of all people to have equal opportunity and access to a service or product from which they can benefit, regardless of their social class, ethnicity, ancestry as well as their age, gender and whether or not they have a disability. In this framework, the universal accessibility of public transport can be critical for different purposes such as commuting to work, joining in entertainment activities, or buying products and services.
Under South African law and in terms of international commitments that have been made, passengers with different ways of moving (children, young people, the elderly, people with disabilities, people carrying babies or shopping, pregnant women, etc.) must be able to use public transport services in comfort, safety, speed and capacity; in other words, with dignity.
How is GO GEORGE implementing UA?
According to Morné Lakay, GO GEORGE Manager, being universally accessible is about much more than being able to get on the bus. He explains: “Most people know that we provide accessible boarding through the ramps and hoists on our buses and that priority seats are reserved for passengers with special needs. However, we also need to consider the condition of the sidewalks that people have to use to get to the bus, the placing of shelters on narrow sidewalks and the space left for people using mobility devices.
“We have to consider the legibility of the bus stop sign and as a matter of fact, all our communication products, such as the font types, colour contrasts and descriptors of visual material on our website. Tactile paving with specific patterns at the bus stop communicates to passengers who are blind where to wait, at the same time not causing obstruction.
“We have to consider the proximity of bus stops to pedestrian crossings, and in the future, we must look at the planning of our city to make sure people can easily access their destinations. We have to consider making public space safe, easy and pleasant to use, including contrasting colours on what we call ‘street furniture’ and wayfinding signage, to maximise visibility.
“Finally, we have to sensitise our service providers to be responsive and considerate. We have a very committed driver and customer care team due to an innovative training approach. Passengers must be able to experience improvements in the service and know that we will respond where we got it wrong. Behind the scenes, we are continually striving to adapt the way professional teams deliver services so that they implement improvements in a coordinated fashion, using universal design.
“Universal access is more complex than many people think, but it is a challenge that GO GEORGE gladly accepts and tackles with enthusiasm,” Lakay says.
Anyone interested to know more about universal access and how it is applied within the public transport industry, is welcome to contact GO GEORGE by phoning the Call Centre on 0800 044 044 or sending an email to info@gogeorge.org.za.
Dropped kerb:
George sidewalks are progressively being upgraded to be more accessible. Pedestrian crossings have kerb drops which are accessible to people with mobility impairments.
Boarding on kneeling bus:
The larger buses can “kneel” to meet the elevated bus stop to accommodate passengers using mobility devices or who cannot comfortably step up to the bus entrance.
Minibus hoist:
The minibus has been equipped with a hydraulic hoist giving access to passengers with mobility impairment.
Tactile paving:
Robin Mouton is a blind passenger who uses the bus service with ease. Here, he navigates the tactile paving to board the bus.
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BEWUSMAKINGSMAAND VIR DIE REGTE VAN PERSONE MET GESTREMDHEDE: Wat is universele toegang?
“Universele toegang” (Universal Access of UA) is ‘n bekende term in die sfeer van gestremdheid en beslis ‘n gonswoord in die openbare vervoerbedryf, insluitend die GO GEORGE-busdiens. As jy nie in hierdie sirkels beweeg nie, kan jy dink dat dit bloot verwys na toegang tot enige plek in die heelal. Dit is egter belangrik dat elke burger die term moet verstaan en hoe hulle inpas by die prentjie en verwagtinge vir die samelewing om “universele toegang” te skep en te verskaf.
Universele toegang verwys na die vermoë van alle mense om gelyke geleenthede en toegang tot ‘n diens of produk te hê waarby hulle kan baat vind, ongeag hul sosiale klas, etnisiteit, afkoms sowel as hul ouderdom, geslag en of hulle ‘n gestremdheid het of nie. In hierdie raamwerk kan die universele toeganklikheid van openbare vervoer van kritieke belang wees vir verskillende doeleindes soos pendel om by die te werk te kom, by vermaaklikheidsaktiwiteite in te skakel of produkte en dienste te koop.
Ingevolge die Suid-Afrikaanse reg en in terme van internasionale verbintenisse wat aangegaan is, moet passasiers met verskillende maniere van beweging (kinders, jongmense, bejaardes, mense met gestremdhede, mense wat babas by hulle het of inkopiesakke dra, swanger vroue, ens.) openbare vervoerdienste met gemak, veiligheid, spoed en kapasiteit kan gebruik; met ander woorde, met waardigheid.
Hoe pas GO GEORGE universele toegang toe?
Volgens Morné Lakay, GO GEORGE-bestuurder, gaan universele toegang oor baie meer as om op die bus te kan klim. Hy verduidelik:
“Die meeste mense weet dat ons toegang tot die bus deur skuins loopvlakke en hystoestelle op ons busse verskaf en dat prioriteitsitplekke gereserveer word vir passasiers met spesiale behoeftes. Ons moet egter ook kyk na die toestand van die sypaadjies wat mense moet gebruik om by die bus uit te kom, die plasing van skuilings op smal sypaadjies en die ruimte wat oorbly vir mense wat mobiliteitstoestelle gebruik.
“Ons moet die leesbaarheid van die bushalteteken in gedagte hou, asook die toeganklikheid van al ons kommunikasieprodukte, met byvoorbeeld die lettertipes en kleurkontraste wat gebruik word en beskrywings van visuele materiaal op ons webwerf. Tasbare plaveisel met bepaalde patrone by die bushalte kommunikeer aan passasiers wat blind is waar om te wag en terselfdertyd nie obstruksie te veroorsaak nie.
“Ons moet die nabyheid van bushaltes aan voetgangeroorgange in ag neem, en vorentoe sal ons moet kyk na die beplanning van ons stad om seker te maak mense kan maklik toegang tot hul bestemmings kry. Ons moet daaraan werk om openbare ruimte veilig, maklik en aangenaam te maak om te gebruik. Dit sal kontrasterende kleure beteken op wat ons ‘straatmeubels’ en rigtingaanwysingsborde noem, om sigbaarheid te maksimaliseer.
“Ten slotte moet ons ons diensverskaffers sensitiseer om bedagsaam te wees en te reageer wanneer nodig. Ons het ‘n baie toegewyde busdrywer- en kliëntediensspan te danke aan ‘n innoverende opleidingsbenadering. Passasiers moet verbeterings in die diens kan ervaar en weet dat ons sal reageer waar ons verkeerd was. Agter die skerms streef ons voortdurend daarna om die manier waarop professionele spanne dienste lewer aan te pas sodat hulle verbeterings op ‘n gekoördineerde wyse implementeer deur universele ontwerp te gebruik.
“Universele toegang is meer ingewikkeld as wat baie mense dink, maar dit is ‘n uitdaging wat GO GEORGE met graagte aanvaar en met entoesiasme aanpak,” sê Lakay.
Enigiemand wat belangstel om meer te weet oor universele toegang en hoe dit in die openbare vervoerbedryf toegepas word, is welkom om GO GEORGE te kontak deur die Inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044 te skakel of ‘n e-pos na info@gogeorge.org.za te stuur.
BYSKRIFTE:
Dropped kerb:
George se sypaadjies word stelselmatig opgegradeer om meer toeganklik te wees. Voetgangeroorgange het ‘n verlaging van die randsteen wat toeganklikheid verseker vir mense met mobiliteitsgestremdhede.
Boarding on kneeling bus:
Die groter busse kan “kniel” om die verhoogde randsteen van die bushalte te ontmoet om passasiers wat nie met gemak op die bus kan klim nie, te akkommodeer.
Minibus hoist:
Die minibus is toegerus met ‘n hidrouliese hyser wat toegang verleen aan passasiers met beweeglikheidsgestremdhede.
Tactile paving:
Robin Mouton is ‘n blinde passasier wat die busdiens met gemak gebruik. Hier voel hy sy pad na die bus met behulp van die tasbare plaveisel.