Enhancing public transport accessibility for people with mental health difficulties.
The primary goal of public transport is to move as many people from A to B as possible. Due to inaccessible infrastructure, physically disabled people might face challenges while accessing different modes of public transport due to physical limitations or larger physical barriers, such as missing low-floor trams or buses. Nevertheless, the quality of public transport services has significantly enhanced for these groups, as investments were made to reduce these barriers and to enhance accessibility.
However, mental health difficulties, and the challenges this creates to accessing and navigating public transport, have not received the same attention. Mental health is a broad and complex topic, covering an array of different needs and support, many of which have historically been misunderstood or mis-diagnosed. Nevertheless, measures around clearer navigation and timetable information, on-site staff support and training, improved toilet facilities and more have been shown to radically enhance the experience of public transport for many users.
A Dutch association called ‘Virtual OV’ aims to support individuals who face transport related challenges by exposing them to potentially uncomfortable situations in a virtual environment through VR lenses. In this virtual process, guidance is provided for various actions, such as ticket purchases, mobility ticket recharging processes or the use of train station infrastructure. Thus, this training helps to reduce unknown, uncomfortable and unnecessarily stressful situations.
These trainings are also available to various other groups, such as elderly people, who also struggle to access many public transport services, as well as asylum seekers, who are not familiar with the Dutch language, customs or mobility system.
Netherlands