Access for All: New Buses Launched

September 22, 2012 udcom

Commuting just got easier for disabled bus riders in Oxford, England. Separate spaces for luggage, guide dogs and wheelchairs have been created on Oxford Bus Company vehicles, and were launched by Oxford West and Abingdon MP, Nicola Blackwood in mid-September. The company will host sessions at Cowley House to help those with mobility issues familiarize themselves with the new layout of the buses.

In addition to the newly created spaces, the floor entrances on the buses can lower to the curb level and now have no steps. There are also high visibility handrails and wider spaces between front rows.

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.