Equality and Human Rights Commission

Article 20 says:

• Government should do everything possible to ensure disabled people can get around as independently as possible, including by:
  • ensuring people can travel when they want at a price they can afford
  • ensuring people have access to quality, affordable mobility aids including new technology or help from other people to help them get around
  • providing mobility training to disabled people and staff working with them
  • encouraging manufacturers of mobility aids and technologies to think about all aspects of mobility for disabled persons.

What does this mean?

It means that the government and public bodies should take steps so that disabled people can get around, in the way they want to – disabled people should be able to decide for themselves what this might be.  When planning for a transport infrastructure, public authorities should think about how disabled people are affected, particularly those who rely on one type of transport.

You could use this Article to highlight the need for public bodies to think about affordable mobility aids. For example, blind people often have to pay for a white stick. Providers of mobility aids should also think about the purpose of the mobility aids. For example, a wheelchair centre should include in their assessment where the wheelchair user wants to go – and what they like to do (for example, do they do sports; do they travel abroad). 

Example: Personal mobility

A local council provides transport for people with learning disabilities between their home and a day centre. If one person or a group wants to visit a museum, then they still have to come to the day centre first, where transport will be provided to the museum, and back to the centre. However this means that there is not much time for the actual visit to the museum. The users of the day centre could use Article 20 (with Article 30 which is the right to take part in culture) to say that the council should enable them to travel directly from their home to the museum – for example by giving travel training.