The European railway system is still far away from being accessible to everyone: People with disabilities face different types of barriers which stop them from being able to travel by rail spontaneously and independently. Kamil Goungor, travel blogger, activist for the rights of people with disabilities, development officer for the European Network on Independent Living and member of the European Disability Forum, joins our sixth episode to discuss about the challenges that people with disabilities face when travelling by train. 

 

When we talk of accessibility in trains, we mainly think about physical barriers, but Kamil points out many other obstacles that make it complicate for people with disabilities to travel independently and spontaneously: having to book assistance 24 or 48 hours in advance or no possibility to travel with other wheelchair users because of the lack of adapted space are some of them. Laura Alčiauskaitė, tells us more about the project TRIPS of the European Network on Independent Living, which she coordinates, aimed at making the transport in seven European cities – Brussels, Stockholm, Sofia, Bologna, Cagliari, Lisbon and Zagreb – more accessible for everyone. 

 

Did you know that in the 19th century, some critics of the early locomotives were afraid that women's uterus would fly out of their bodies as they were accelerated to the speed of 50 miles an hour? Get on board, we'll take you journey that is accessible to everybody!  

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