Improving accessibility

Our transport network is for everyone. When we design, improve or maintain pavements and roads, we think about how accessible they are for everyone who wants to use them.

We think about how a pavement, crossing or other pedestrian area can be used by someone with a disability.

• Are there features that may be a problem for people who are blind or visually impaired?
• Could features be added to help?
• Is a pedestrian area easily accessible for someone who has difficulty walking because of age or illness, or for people who use a wheelchair?

There are many simple features that we can either add or omit that can make a big difference to how easily many of us can get around.

Designing accessible roads and pavements

We have comprehensive guidelines that cover how a pedestrian and transport network should be designed, so that it can be easily used by people who have mobility problems. For more information on designing accessible roads and pavements, visit Kent Design.

We make sure that all new services and facilities meet the needs of disabled people, and we look at all existing services and facilities to see if there are any problems.

Checking new services

The Department for Transport has published a booklet called Inclusive Mobility (PDF, 3MB). This guides us on what we need to include in new services or facilities.

Checking existing services

If there are physical features on the highway that make it impossible, or unreasonably difficult, for people with disabilities to use the highway, we may be able to take action.

If so, whoever provides the service or facility must do whatever they can to make it available to everyone.

This may be done by:

• removing the feature which is causing the problem
• changing the feature so that it no longer prevents access
• providing a way for people to avoid it.

We have worked on upgrading controlled pedestrian crossings to make sure that they are suitable for everyone. We are currently working on improving uncontrolled crossing points (those without signals or push-button units).

We will continue to make improvements where they are necessary.

We are also looking at where there are problems with services and facilities on the roads and pathways. A group of disabled people from across the country has helped decide how to do this.