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ACCESS EXCHANGE INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER

Accessible Transportation Around the World

June 2003 Newsletter

New transit modes for passengers with disabilities initiated in Mexico, Russia, Japan & South Africa

Most passengers with disabilities can ride on accessible bus and rail systems, while many require more specialized transit modes.

New service routes in Puebla, Mexico

A pilot project serving two routes was initiated in Puebla this past November, using two lift-equipped minibuses Each vehicle seats ten persons with four securement positions for passengers using wheelchairs. Service is without charge for disabled passengers certified to use the system. Service hours are weekdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Key stops were evaluated and identified in a planning document which included much of the material in AEI’s Mobility for All guide. Tom Rickert of AEI was given an in-depth briefing on the proposed service during a visit to Puebla in 2002. The project is sponsored by DIF, a major government social service agency reporting to the Governor of the State of Puebla.

Archangelsk, Russia, starts a service route

A service route has been initiated in this northern Russian city, serving a 15 kilometer long fixed route. The vans are operated by a disability agency and serve key sites such as a railroad terminal and a factory for assistive devices. Several seats are reserved in each vehicle for free travel by passengers with disabilities. The project was run with four vehicles from June to October of 2002 and then expanded to its current six vehicles.

A service route in Hachioji City in western Tokyo completed its first year of operation in March, 2003, using three minibuses. Service in eastern Hachioji is in operation with two more buses during the current year. Each route serves some 30 pickup stops and ends at major Japan Railway stations in Hachioji. A published schedule and route map are provided to orient passengers. Cost is equivalent to US$1.20. Service is provided from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is open to all passengers while prioritized for disabled and elderly passengers. Each vehicle is equipped with ramps and has 18 seats, many of which can be folded to provide securement positions for those using wheelchairs, as well as bright yellow stanchions to assist those with limited vision. Buses are owned by the city and leased to a local bus company. “The Hachi-bus is already a great success,” notes satisfied transport manager Shinichi Inoue.

Door-to-door service in Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town launched an expanded “dial a ride” service in October, 2002, with 17 accessible mini-buses providing curb-to-curb transport for disabled persons throughout Cape Town. The service is available weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Passengers with disabilities need to register for the service beforehand. Fares range from the equivalent of around US$.50 to US$2 per trip, depending on the distances traveled within nine service zones.

Richard Weiner of Access Exchange International was involved in planning efforts for earlier versions of the service, meeting with stakeholders in Cape Town while there to promote accessible transport in 1995 as part of a series of consultations he carried out for AEI in South Africa. The project was restructured in 1998 and 2000 prior to its current expansion, enabling planners to refine the service based on their growing experience.

Service routes plus door-to-door in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, meanwhile, has continued to expand its “Rehabus” minibus fleet to a total of 87 accessible vehicles providing door-to-door service for passengers with disabilities. Vehicles typically accommodate 12 passengers or a maximum of 4 wheelchair users. In addition to daily dial-a-ride service, the vehicles also provide peak hour service on 56 fixed routes, Mondays through Saturdays. Twelve additional routes provide service to groups of disabled passengers. The Rehabus service is part of a highly developed family of services in Hong Kong, including access to railways, tramways, taxis, ferries, and a total of 1,850 wheelchair-accessible full size buses composing 29% of the bus fleet.

(Based on material provided to AEI by Enrique Ruiz in Puebla, Mexico; Angela Archangelskaya in Moscow; Walter Spillum in Tokyo; an article in the Modalink newsletter by Jeanne Welsh in Cape Town; and Joseph Kwan in Hong Kong.)

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World Bank Seminar Focuses on Transport, Poverty and Disability

Practitioners from several countries joined more than a dozen transport staff of the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank for a workshop on “Transport, Poverty and Disability” held January 16, 2003, at the World Bank in Washington.

The function was hosted by Peter Roberts of the World Bank and included an introduction by Judy Heumann, the Bank’s new advisor on disability and development, a report by Peter Roberts on a British study of poverty and disability, and an update by Christo Venter of CSIR in South Africa on a UK-funded project to enhance access to transportation (see following article). Reports on accessible Bus Rapid Transit projects in Peru and El Salvador were provided by Paul Guitink and Gerhard Menckhoff of the World Bank, and by Matthew Tank of the Inter-American Development Bank. Updates were provided by Ling Suen, immediate past chair of the Committee on Accessible Transportation and Mobility of the USA’s Transportation Research Board, Kit Mitchell of the UK, and ALW van Herk of the Transport Ministry of The Netherlands.

Tom Rickert of AEI reported on new publications in our field and provided an update on proposed meetings in New Delhi and Hyderabad, India. He concluded by joining with Peter Roberts and others in urging development bank staffs to coordinate their work through the encouragement of emerging international guidelines, provision of practical workshops, and the funding of demonstration projects to point the way toward lower-cost accessible design and operation of public transit.

Access Exchange International assisted in the planning of the well-attended event, the identification of the presenters, and outreach to participants. Presentations and reports from the event may be had from Barbara Gregory at the World Bank at bgregory@worldbank.org, fax (202) 522-3223 in the USA.

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Pilot Projects Enhance Access in South Africa, India, Mozambique, and Malawi

A project sponsored by the UK’s Department for International Development is moving ahead in collaboration with TRL Limited in the UK, CSIR Transportek in South Africa, Access Exchange International, India’s Central Institute of Road Transport, and agencies in Malawi and Mozambique. The program includes demonstration projects aimed at putting practical features in place to improve access to transport for people with disabilities while serving as a testing ground for innovative low-cost access features. Results are being monitored and will be incorporated into guidelines to be published by the project team in March of 2004.

In Pretoria, South Africa’s capital, a pilot project is planned to demonstrate bus access for wheelchair users at key sites, using ramped wayside platforms with bridges to span the floor-to-platform gap.

In Pune, India, bus stop shelters along an entire six kilometer route were upgraded to be more disabled friendly. A spectrum of features for passengers with mobility, hearing, and vision disabilities has been installed. In addition, bus drivers received disability awareness training and new buses incorporate wider entrances, improved hand rails, priority seating, color contrast on handrails, and visual stop signs for passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

In Blantyre, Malawi, the focus is on safety and accessibility for both pedestrians and passengers using minibuses in the vicinity of a hospital entrance on a very busy road. New features include accessible walkways, a new bus shelter on one side of the road and improvements to an existing shelter on the other side, curb ramps, and tactile features.

In Maputo, Mozambique, bus stands and pavements have been improved and a pedestrian crossing upgraded at the city hospital. Pilot raised platforms have been constructed at a major bus stop to assist ambulatory passengers with disabilities.

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(We encourage our readers to respond to this editorial with their comments.)

Most disabled persons in poorer countries still have no access to public transportation. Yet remarkable progress on all continents has been documented in recent issues of this Newsletter. What actions will best leverage major changes to improve mobility for the tens of millions of disabled persons in developing countries? What steps are needed for those who find it difficult or impossible to take public transportation to get to work or health care or any other activity most people take for granted? AEI presents the following for public consideration:

• The focus needs to be on universal design. Around the world, stakeholders are finding that most improvements which benefit passengers with disabilities also benefit all other passengers. “Universal design” means improvements for everyone. For example, properly designed low-floor buses, or high floor buses with level entry from raised platforms, are especially appropriate ways to provide access for all passengers, including those using wheelchairs.

• Emphasis must be placed on the full spectrum of functional limitations faced by all passengers. It is not just disabled passengers who have a problem navigating transit systems. Ask any confused tourist in a foreign bus or train station! Better signs, brightly colored hand holds, audible announcements, etc. are needed for all passengers.

• More emphasis is required on how vehicles are operated. Millions of vehicles (often vans or mini-buses) in developing countries are driven unsafely. In some countries, vehicles may not even come to a full stop for passengers to board. Disabled people may be deliberately ignored by drivers racing other drivers to get to the next bus stop. Contracts (often called “concessions”) for bus services must be written to include incentives to promote courtesy to passengers rather than competition between drivers. Easily understood driver training materials are desperately needed.

• Development banks have a responsibility to work together to promote inclusive transport. We have witnessed the beginning of better individual and collective action by the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank. “Bus rapid transit” projects in major Latin American cities have set a standard of access for all through universal design. But development bank staff are spread entirely too thin when it comes to assuring that the transport they fund is usable by the urban poor people who most need to benefit from their projects. More coordination and greater commitment is still needed. Good actions must match good rhetoric!

• Demonstration projects are required. Sometimes the very simplest ideas are being ignored due to lack of even modest funding. “Champions” are needed in foundations, development banks, and research and academic institutions to promote ideas for low-cost bus stop improvements, better driver training, small vehicle design, cost-effective ramped taxis and “service routes,” etc. The United Kingdom has taken the lead with its project to enhance accessibility to urban transport systems in Africa, Asia, and Latin America (see article on previous page). Others must now follow that lead.

• Global policy frameworks need to be strengthened. The proposed United Nations Convention on Disability (see page 7) would provide a policy framework within which international norms on accessible transportation can be developed in the larger context of the human rights of disabled persons everywhere.
-- Tom Rickert

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Bangkok: $6 billion Bangkok rail project planned to be accessible

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand is constructing four mass transit commuter rail lines serving metropolitan Bangkok, with 80 kilometers of new tracks. A combination of elevators and ramps will serve 62 elevated and underground stations and other access features will be provided. Funding is provided by a low-interest loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation as well as a variety of public and private sources. The existing Bangkok Sky Train, which has wheelchair access at a few key stations, will become part of the larger project and it is anticipated that its remaining stations will be equipped with elevators. (Based on reports by Joseph Kwan in Hong Kong and by Ditsanan Bunlangkarn, on the MRTA’s Chaloem Ratchamongkhon Line, at a meeting in Japan.)

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Participants from nine Asian countries at Thai Regional Training Seminar

Thirty participants from the Asia-Pacific region came together for a seminar to promote accessible environments, held February 25-March 11 in Bangkok. The event was sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and The Royal Thai Government and organized by the Asia Pacific Development Center on Disability in Bangkok, based on initial planning by the UN’s Economic & Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. A full day of the course was devoted to accessible public transit, assisted by resource persons Yoshi Kawauchi, Topong Kulkhanchit, and Joseph Kwan. Participants came from Malaysia, Fiji, Laos, China, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Thailand. (Report by Joseph Kwan, Hong Kong)

Policy Frameworks for Transport for All
Progress at global, national, and municipal levels

Global: Work Proceeds on a United Nations Convention on Disability Rights

Responding to a Mexican initiative, the United Nations General Assembly approved a process in December, 2001, to prepare a UN Convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. As part of this process, the General Assembly also created a Special Committee which has produced a comprehensive draft document which includes a provision that public transport vehicles and services permit access and mobility by passengers with disabilities. The process of producing this policy framework for member nations was moved ahead by the Quito Declaration, passed in April, 2003, at a regional meeting of delegates from the Americas, held in Ecuador. The declaration acknowledges that 80% of the world’s disabled persons live in developing regions and calls upon each country to guarantee access by disabled persons to a better quality of life, taking into account the development level of each country. The Special Committee again met at United Nations headquarters in New York in June, 2003.

National: El Salvador approves technical norms

El Salvador’s National Disability Council (CONAIPD) reports the passage of Technical Norms for Access to Urban Infrastructure, Transportation, and Communications in February. AEI “has been part of our advance,” according to CONAIPD Executive Secretary Lourdes de Morales. Our agency held an introductory workshop on accessible transport in San Salvador in October, 2000.

Municipal: Buenos Aires mandates access

On January 13, 2003, the city of Buenos Aires published Law 962, modifying the municipal building code to require access features in the construction of public buildings, including transit stations and stops, per a report by Silvia Coriat of Fundación Rumbos in Argentina.

Access to waterways

At the suggestion of AEI, colleagues at Costa Rica’s National Rehabilitation Council are entering into a discussion group sponsored by the International Forum for Rural Transport and Development (IFRTD) to bring up issues of access to waterway transport by disabled persons. Readers with ideas to share can contact the Council on this matter at marioviquezaraya@racsa.co.cr. Disabled persons in Costa Rica are active in waterway tourism and employment. Information about the IFRTD is available at www.ifrtd.org.

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News and Notes from Around the World

• India: The accessible Delhi Metro took its inaugural run in December, 2002, according to a report by advocates Anjlee Agarwal and Sanjeev Sachdeva.

• Brazil: AEI has received a major new publication in Portuguese, Município Acessível ao Cidadão, 274 pages, from CEPAM in São Paulo, Brazil. This excellent publication deals with all aspects of accessibility, with a special focus on access to transportation, streets, and sidewalks. For informa- tion, contact CEPAM at fpfl@cepam.sp.gov.br, go to www.cepam.sp.gov.br, fax (55-11) 3813-5969, or write to CEPAM, Av. Prof. Lineo Prestes, 913, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil.

• France: A helpful French-language web site is found at http://wal.autonomia.org (Please note: “wal,” not “www”) This site covers a spectrum of disability issues and includes a helpful transportation section.

• Costa Rica: Access to national parks and protected areas is the subject of a series of bilingual guides in English and Spanish recently published in that progressive Central American country. Publications include a Guide to Diagnose Accessibility in a Protected Area, a Guide for Signaling, Information and Communication, and a Guide for the Creation of an Accessibility Plan in Protected Areas. Contact the Costa Rican National Rehabilitation Council at cnreecr@racsa.co.cr, fax (506) 260-1855 or write the Council at PO Box 7-2170, 1000 San José, Costa Rica. (Report by Bárbara Holst Quirós.)

• Singapore: Five existing railroad stations retrofitted for access, with 40 more stations to follow: Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has upgraded an initial five stations with access features, with plans for 40 additional stations to be upgraded by 2004. (From a report by Judy Wee, Singapore)

• India: Work continues on South Asia Regional Conference. Sonia Lokku of Handicap International (HI) in New Delhi reports that work is continuing to identify funding to introduce accessible transportation concepts at a regional conference in New Delhi. The meetings would be under the auspices of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities within the Indian Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Related meetings in Hyderabad, India, are also proposed by that city's Society for Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, working with agencies in Andhra Pradesh state.

• Universal Design Conference: Contact Valerie Fletcher at vfletcher@adaptiveenvironments.org for information on Designing for the 21st Century III, an international conference on universal design planned in Brazil in 2004.

• ACCESS TO BUSES: Pune Municipal Transport in India plans to increase access to its buses through a number of features which will help the majority of passengers with disabilities, albeit without access for wheelchair users at this time, according to a report by Anand Venkatesh. . . . A pilot accessible bus service is moving forward in Delhi, India, where municipal officials are planning to introduce low-floor buses in September on a pilot corridor, per the Centre for the Promotion of a Barrier Free Environment. . . . Ongoing cooperation with the Dan Bus Corporation has resulted in the first completely accessible bus route in Tel Aviv, according to Bizchut, an Israeli NGO. . . . Meanwhile, the situation relative to inclusive bus and rail services has deteriorated in Buenos Aires due to Argentina’s economic crisis, according to a report from Fundación Rumbos. Lower service quality and quantity for disabled passengers is part of a general crisis affecting all passengers.

USA: FTA/Project Action International Panel Planned in Washington in July. Disability leaders from Mexico, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and other countries joined an international panel on transit access and independent living as part of a larger celebration of the 13th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, held in Washington, DC, July 22-26, 2003. The events are sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration, Easter Seals Project ACTION, and other agencies. . . . . AEI presents global transit access trends in San Francisco area: AEI has offered presentations to agencies and organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area on global trends in accessible transit. Events at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and the San Francisco Municipal Railway have been held. Interested readers in northern California may contact AEI for further information. . . . . AEI is pleased to announce two new members of our Board of Directors: Kate Toran, with the Accessible Services office of San Francisco’s public transit agency; and Cheryl Damico, an occupational therapist and professional in training transit personnel to better serve disabled passengers. . . . . The Committee on Accessible Transportation and Mobility of the USA’s Transportation Research Board has designated CGB Mitchell (UK) and Kate Hunter (USA) as its new Co-chairs, replacing outgoing Chair Ling Suen (Canada), while Rob Barnes (Canada) serves as Secretary. The Co-chairs of the International Sub-Committee are Ann Frye (UK) and Maryvonne Dejeammes (France). Tom Rickert of AEI remains the chair of its Task Force on Less Wealthy Countries.

January 2003 Newsletter
Accessible Transportation Around the World

Table of Contents

Announcing a new AEI Guide

ASIA LATIN AMERICA  WORLD BANK NEWS EUROPE AND RUSSIA

Making Access Happen

Announcing a new AEI guide

 AEI announces the publication of Making Access Happen:  Promoting and Planning Transport for All.  A complimentary hard copy of this illustrated 30-page guide will be mailed upon request, without charge, to our international contacts around the world.  The guide includes case studies of successful advocacy and planning of accessible public transport and pedestrian ways in countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.  AEI thanks both The United Methodist Church (USA) and Unwin Safety Systems (UK) for partial underwriting of the preparation and printing of this publication.   

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Asia and the Pacific Region:

Inclusive Transport Projects Move Forward

Malay and Telugu versions in process . . .

Chinese version of Mobility for All Published in Malaysia 

A Chinese version of AEI’s guide, Mobility for All: Accessible Transportation Around the World,  was published in Malaysia in December under the auspices of the Society of Disabled Persons of Penang (SDPP).  Distribution of the guide free of charge is planned to schools, government agencies, local authorities, ministries, NGOs, religious and social service organizations, and other stakeholders, according to Kuan Aw Tan of the SDPP.   Printing of the publication was funded by the ‘Lions Club of Penang Light.’

The Penang Society of Disabled Persons also plans to publish a Malay version of Mobility for All in 2003. The Society has a long history of advocacy for accessible streets, sidewalks, and transport and published a guide to making buildings and public spaces accessible in 2000.

For a courtesy copy of Mobility for All in Chinese, readers may e-mail Mr. Tan at tanka@pc.jaring.my, fax to  (60-4) 228-1058, or write directly to the Society of Disabled Persons, Kompleks Masyarakat Penyayang, CO-19-GF Jalan Utama, 10450 Penang, Malaysia.   A new web site will shortly open at http://www.disabledpersonspenang.org.

A translation of Mobility for All into Telugu, spoken by 70 million people in India, is also nearing completion according to a report from P. Sudhakara Reddy of Hyderabad’s Society for Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. In recent years the publication has also been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese versions.

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Hunger strike gains transit access in Korea

A hunger strike by a disability activist in Seoul ended in September, 2002, after an agreement was reached with city authorities to install elevators at all subway stations by 2004.  In addition, three disability activists will participate on a new committee to be established for the promotion and introduction of low-floor buses.  The 38-day hunger strike was carried out by Park Koung Suk, a wheelchair user and a leader within the disability community. Japanese agencies joined in support of his struggle, including Disabled Peoples’ International (DPI) and the Japan Independent Living Council.

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New Door-to-Door Service Starts Up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Persatuan Mobiliti, the first community transport service to serve disabled persons in Malaysia, initiated door-to-door services in August, 2002.  Founded by Halimah Abdullah, the new paratransit service has been established with two vehicles, assisted by funding from the British High Commission and the Catholic Church, according to a report in Community Transport, the magazine of the UK’s Community Transport Assn.  CTA staff person Ian Jenkinson provided two weeks of on-site consulting assistance when the CTA was approached by British Executive Service Overseas (BESO) on behalf of the startup transit system.  Technical assistance needed by Persatuan Mobiliti included resolving issues of passenger eligibility and demand management lest the system  be swamped with an unmanageable demand for service. Ms. Abdullah told AEI the service is rapidly becoming fully booked.

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Sydney Leads the Way in Australia

Sydney’s rail network has become more accessible with the introduction of its Millennium Train service with a full array of access features to assist all passengers in addition to those with mobility, hearing, and sight impairments, as reported in Australia’s Quad Wrangle.   Sidney has also introduced the latest Internet and telephone technology to help all passengers in their trip planning.   Information on access for disabled passengers is integrated into the system.

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Accessible Taxi Services Grow in Japan

  Managers of Japanese taxi companies recently visited San Francisco’s public transit agency to learn more about that city’s heavy use of taxis for disabled passengers.  AEI assisted staff of the San Francisco Municipal Railway in presentations to the taxi representatives.  The visit was part of a larger project to seek to initiate or expand accessible taxi services in several Japanese cities.

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Conferences in Japan Promote Access for Passengers with Disabilities

Two conferences in late 2002, and a third in 2004, are helping to point the way toward access for all. 

•  UD2002, a conference on universal design, was held in Yokohama in early December.  Those asked to speak about universal design and public transport included Ling Suen of Canada’s International Centre for Accessible Transportation (ICAT); Michael Winter, the Director of the Office of Civil Rights of the USA’s Federal Transit Administration; Akihiro Mihoshi of Kinki University; and Tetsuo Akiyama of Tokyo Metropolitan University.

• The 6^th World Assembly of Disabled Peoples’ International was held in Sapporo, Japan, in October.  AEI’s guide, Mobility for All, was distributed by Walter Spillum at workshops addressing issues of transport access, chaired by Topong Kulkhanchit and Michael Winters.

• The 10^th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled People (TRANSED) will be held in Japan, May 23-26, 2004, with the theme “accessible transportation and road design: strategies for success.”  Abstracts for papers are due May 31, according to TRANSED organizers. For information, go to http://transed.jp.  Many readers will find that now is the time to budget funds and time to participate in this unique conference, which returns to the Asian-Pacific region after being held in Warsaw, Poland, in 2001.

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Introducing Accessible Transport in India

Meetings Proposed in New Delhi & Hyderabad

A proposal to introduce accessible transportation concepts at a conference and other meetings in early 2004 in India has been developed by Handicap International in New Delhi.  The proposal envisions a regional conference in New Delhi for accessible transport advocates and planners from countries in south Asia, under the auspices of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities within the Indian Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The regional conference would be coordinated with a state-level meeting in Hyderabad, proposed by that city’s Society for Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with agencies in the state of Andhra Pradesh.  Meetings may also be held elsewhere in India or in other countries in the region.

The proposal was developed in coordination with Access Exchange International and other stakeholders.  AEI networked with practitioners in India, the UK, Canada, the USA, Thailand, and South Africa, all of whom provided input into the concept statement developed by Handicap International as they seek funds to carry out their pioneering proposal. AEI has coordinated the formation of an international Technical Advisory Committee for the proposed events, initially composed of Dr. CGB Mitchell (UK), Prof. Lalita Sen (USA), Ling Suen (Canada), Tom Rickert of AEI, and Dr. Christo Venter (South Africa).

For further information, please contact Sonia Lokku or D. Nanda of Handicap International, e-mail: hisaroortho@vsnl.net.

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Indian Agency Advocates for Station Access

Sudhakara Reddy reports that the Society for Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities has carried out an access audit of sixteen railroad stations in Hyderabad.  The carefully researched document can serve as a model audit for transport professionals and advocates and deals with accessible car parking, access to station entrances, footbridges, platforms, washrooms, public telephones, ticket counters, drinking fountains, food outlets, signage and other public information.

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ESCAP Policies to Promote Access for All

Yutaka Takamine of the United Nations’ Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific reports that accessible public transport is a strengthened priority in their policy guidelines for the region for the second Asian and Pacific Decade for Disabled Persons (2002-2012).

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Australia Enacts National Transport Access Standards

Australia’s national Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport went into effect on October 23, completing a long and often contentious process which saw Australian cities and states moving ahead in the absence of  a national consensus.  The new standards require access to new public structures, pedestrian facilities, and transport vehicles, while providing a timetable for phasing in access features for existing facilities and vehicles.   A review of the standards by AEI staff disclosed that they are representative of emerging international norms in the field, taking their place alongside national guidelines found in such diverse locales as Japan, Costa Rica, western Europe, and North America.  The standards prescribe detailed requirements concerning access paths, ramps and boarding devices, allocated spaces on board buses and trains, handrails, doorways, controls, symbols and signs, the payment of fares, the provision of information, and other matters. To view the standards, go to http://www.law.gov.au/DSFAPT/Welcome.html.

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Latin America

Accessible Bus Rapid Transit Planned

in San Salvador and Lima

Floor-level boarding and other universal design features are planned for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in the capital of El Salvador and in Lima, Peru.  The result will be increased access for passengers with disabilities.

El Salvador has taken the lead in Central America in planning for universally accessible public transport. San Salvador, the capital of densely-populated El Salvador, will be the locale for a 19 kilometer bus expressway planned with four transfer centers served by feeder bus lines as well as 22 other stops served by high-level ramped platforms.   The express line will feature high-capacity articulated buses with bridge pieces attached to each door to span the gap between bus floors and the platforms at each stop.  The project will include access features for sidewalks and pedestrian ways along the new BRT line.  It is hoped that a funding package will be complete by mid-2003 with local sources picking up most of the cost and international funders handling the remainder.  Construction would begin later in 2003. The BRT service is planned as part of a larger effort in the San Salvador metropolitan area to replace aging buses with a more modern and far better regulated fleet.

Meanwhile,  a similar system in Lima, Peru, has entered the design stage as plans move ahead for a funding package from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Municipality of Lima.

The universal design concepts found in Bus Rapid Transit had their origins many years ago in Curitiba, Brazil.   This Latin American model has since been replicated in Quito, Ecuador’s popular trolley line and in Bogotá, Colombia’s Transmilenio bus system. “First ever” workshops introducing concepts of  access for disabled passengers to different types of public transport were led by Access Exchange International in San Salvador in 2000 and in Lima in 2001.  While some accessibility features are exclusively for the use of disabled persons, most such features are themselves examples of universal design and facilitate the use of public transport by a broad spectrum of passengers.   

Other BRT systems are in the planning or implementation stage throughout Latin America, including Guatemala City; Panama City; Guayaquil and Cuenca, Ecuador; Fortaleza, Brazil; Medellín and Barranquilla, Colombia; and Santiago, Chile.  The spread of BRT systems in Latin America provides highly visible examples of universal design which can be replicated elsewhere in the region and beyond.

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News and Notes from the Americas

• Argentina:   A trail-blazing publication in Spanish, titled Lo Urbano y lo Humano: Hábitat y Discapacidad, provides a multi-level introduction to issues of accessibility to the built environment.  Information at www.rumbos.org.ar.

• Bolivia:  Virginia del Carmen Cordero Blanco  reports from that she is using reports in AEI publications in her radio program, Rompiendo Barreras (Breaking Barriers).

• IDB:  AEI has provided input to the Inter-American Development Bank in response to a request for comments on its document titled Poverty Reduction and the Promotion of Social Equity.   Among other comments, AEI recommended increased staffing at the Bank to work on disability issues in Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Mexico:  Two community service routes were initiated in Puebla in November, using accessible mini-buses.  The service is operated by DIF Estatal de Puebla, a major social service agency.  (See our June , 2003, Newsletter for more news on this project.)

• Peru:  A new Spanish-language guide to accessible cities  is available  from APRODDIS, an NGO in Lima.  It may be downloaded at a United Nations site at www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/guiadd/aproddis.htm.

• USA: Mobility International USA reports that they are publishing Building an Inclusive Development Community:  A Manual on Including People with Disabilities in International Development.  The project is funded by the USA’s Agency for International Development and will contain a section on access to transport, prepared by AEI.  For more information, e-mail to info@miusa.org or fax (541) 343-6812.

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Work Moves Ahead on Access to Urban Transit in Developing Regions 

Access Exchange International reported on accessible transport practices in Latin America as part of a larger UK-sponsored project at meetings in Pretoria, South Africa, in June, 2002.  A more detailed report on access issues for small buses and vans in the Mexico City metropolitan area was also presented by AEI. Electronic or print versions of both reports are available by contacting us at globalride-sf@att.net. Latin American practices are sometimes more relevant to many African and Asian countries than the at times more expensive approaches and technology used in North America and western Europe.

The initial report from the larger international project, titled Enhanced  Accessibility for People with Disabilities Living in Urban Areas, is available in the Resources section of this web site.  The report includes the results of focus groups with disabled persons in South Africa, India, Malawi, Mozambique, and Mexico, along with analyses of disability, mobility needs, barriers, and current legislation in the targeted countries.  The report concludes with an international review of current practices and recommendations for change.  A future report will present access guidelines relevant to transit planners in developing countries.

A project presentation on Improving Accessibility for People with Disabilities in Urban Areas was presented at the 10^th international conference of CODATU, held in Lomé, Togo, in November, 2002.  The paper was authored by Christo Venter of CSIR Transportek in South Africa, Hendrietta Bogopane of the South African Parliament, Tom Rickert of AEI, and other project participants. Project sponsorship is provided by the UK’s Department for International Development via the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL, Ltd.)

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World Bank news 

Seminar to Focus on Transport Access in Developing Nations 

Transportation and infrastructure staff at the World Bank in Washington DC will host a roundtable in January to hear reports on inclusive transportation in less developed countries.  The meeting will provide an opportunity for agencies actively promoting accessible transportation in less-wealthy countries to share information and strategies with each other.  Reports are planned by practitioners from the Americas, Europe, and Africa along with staff of both the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.  AEI is assisting with facilitation of the event and plans to report on the meeting in our next Newsletter.

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Judith Heumann Appointed World Bank Disability Advisor

The World Bank has appointed Judith Heumann to be its first full-time Advisor on Disability and Development.  Ms. Heumann is a former Assistant Secretary of Education for the USA’s federal government, heading up its Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services.  She was a co-founder of the World Institute on Disability in California.  A conference on Disability and Development was planned at the World Bank on December 3.

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 Europe & Russia

 Russian Transport Ministry Cooperates with ECMT on Transit Accessibility

 The Russian Transport Ministry has signed a protocol with the European Conference of Ministers of Transport to obtain advice and suggestions on the subject of transport for people with disabilities, according to Jack Short of the ECMT and Ann Frye of the UK’s Department for Transport. (Note: AEI first helped introduce accessible transport concepts in Russia in the early 1990’s when our Executive Director visited Moscow ten times under sponsorship of Russian agencies and the USA’s Agency for International Development.  Assisting with workshops in Russia were James McLary of McLary Management in Alexandria, Virginia; Annette Williams, Manager of Accessible Services at the San Francisco Muni; and David Koffman of Nelson/Nygaard Associates, all from the USA.)

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 British Department for Transport Issues a Comprehensive New Accessibility Guide

A major new publication authored by Philip Oxley has been released in the UK, titled Inclusive Mobility: A Guide to Best Practice on Access to Pedestrian and Transport Infrastructure.  The guide includes sections on pedestrian ways, tactile paving surfaces, car parking, bus stops, taxi ranks, access to and within transport facilities, signage and information, lighting, and other matters.  For a copy of the 164 page printed version, write the Department for Transport, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7NB, United Kingdom, or fax to (44) 870-1226-237.  The entire document is also available at www.mobility-unit.dft.gov.uk.

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Increasing Road Carnage Causes Disability in Developing Countries  

Between 23 and 34 million people were injured in road crashes worldwide in 1999, according to a rough estimate in Estimating Global Road Fatalities, a report from the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL, Ltd.).  Road crashes are an increasing cause of death and disability in the developing world, while decreasing in western Europe and North America.  Other studies have shown that unsafely operated public transport vehicles cause a disproportionate amount of this carnage, underlining the need for better regulation, both to reduce the number of people who become disabled due to road accidents and to increase access for disabled passengers.

June 2002

Accessible Transportation Around the World

Encouraging Reports from Development Banks, other agencies at AEI Roundtable

When the first plans were laid in 1990 to found Access Exchange International, there was an almost total lack of access for disabled persons to public transportation . . .

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