Completed petition Improve disabled access to Treforest train station as a priority
We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to prioritise upgrades to Treforest Railway Station to enable disabled students to access the University of South Wales sustainably and with dignity.
Treforest railway station provides the primary public transport access to the University of South Wales. Transport for Wales has promised to invest in railway stations across Wales as part of a 15 year improvement programme but for many disabled young people wishing to access a university education independently, these improvements will come too late.
Current arrangements at the station require disabled people to call for help then wait for station staff to come and virtually manhandle them across the footbridge. This is inappropriate and falls short of the access standards we should expect for disabled people in the 21st century. We the undersigned ask the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to prioritise improvements to Treforest station, in particular to provide suitable disability access.
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The lead petitioner started this petition after witnessing the current disabled access provisions in action during the first week of term. The provision fell short of that she would want to see for her friends and families with disabilities, especially those for whom the current provision would not be enough.
The Equality Act 2010 makes provision for reasonable adjustments to be made to enable disabled people to access education, employment and other services. Given Transport for Wales announcement of planned improvements, it seems entirely reasonable for this key station to be a priority, preferably before the next intake of students starting their university education in September 2020.
This petition was considered by the Petitions Committee
Find out about the Petitions Committee’s discussion of this petition