Reported Design Processes for Accessibility in Rail Transport

This paper sets out to find out what methods are used in the rail sector to achieve accessibility goals and to examine the extent these methods deviate from user-centred and inclusive design norms. Inclusive design (ID) stresses the deployment of diverse design methods to determine user requirements with the aim of maximising accessibility in products and services. A review of ID literature has mainly developed in the arena of product design and design for assistive technology. Accessibility is a fundamental requirement in public transport (PT) yet there exists little research on design for accessibility or ID in this area. How is accessibility and the needs of users accounted for in rail transport design? This paper analyses interviews with rolling stock producers, operators and design consultancies. These conducted to determine if ID design methods are used explicitly and the extent to which the methods used conform to ID processes (if at all). The research found that for some actors the industry standards were held to be a sufficient guarantee of achieving accessibility goals. For others specific design methods were also required to ensure the requirement of accessibility had been reached.