Understanding disabilites

[TUC]

What sort of training do rail staff get in terms of understanding of different kinds of disabilities and the support that might be needed? I ask because of two sets of situations that have occured on a number of occeasions for us.

One regards my wife who is blind and, even though when arranging assistance explains that she simply needs guiding on and off the train, has had a number of occeasions on arriving at the station to find a member of staff turning up with a wheelchair.

The other concerns my daughter who, particularly as a teenager, had a condition that meant she had great difficulty in having a sense of direction or understanding signs i.e. the station display might say that service xx was leaving from platform 7, she could see the signs that pointed to platform 7 but could not interpret how that meant she was to get there. There were several occeasions when we had arranged assistance in advance for journeys that involved multiple changes, explaining the help she needed, only for the member of staff at the first station to see an apparantly ordinary teenager and say to her 'Oh you don't really need any help do you?' and, sure enough, when she got to the next stations on the journey, no help to appear. There was at least one occeasion when she missed trains and the last connection home because of this.

Both sets of situations seem to be based on people assuming disability either means a wheelchair or at least is visible in some way rather than, in my daughter's case, being hidden.

 

[Ferret]

What sort of training do rail staff get in terms of understanding of different kinds of disabilities and the support that might be needed? I ask because of two sets of situations that have occured on a number of occeasions for us.

One regards my wife who is blind and, even though when arranging assistance explains that she simply needs guiding on and off the train, has had a number of occeasions on arriving at the station to find a member of staff turning up with a wheelchair.

The other concerns my daughter who, particularly as a teenager, had a condition that meant she had great difficulty in having a sense of direction or understanding signs i.e. the station display might say that service xx was leaving from platform 7, she could see the signs that pointed to platform 7 but could not interpret how that meant she was to get there. There were several occeasions when we had arranged assistance in advance for journeys that involved multiple changes, explaining the help she needed, only for the member of staff at the first station to see an apparantly ordinary teenager and say to her 'Oh you don't really need any help do you?' and, sure enough, when she got to the next stations on the journey, no help to appear. There was at least one occeasion when she missed trains and the last connection home because of this.

Both sets of situations seem to be based on people assuming disability either means a wheelchair or at least is visible in some way rather than, in my daughter's case, being hidden.

A very interesting post. The wheelchair thing is down to a simple communication breakdown, and it happens an awful lot I'm afraid. Chinese Whispers-syndrome leads to all sorts of confusion when the message is passed through 2 or 3 people.

As for the situation with your daughter - that's a really unusual one. It's not something I've really ever come across, though I can imagine how distressing that could be. Staff do receive training in the basics - what to do/what not to do, what to say/what not to say and how to avoid dropping a blind man down the gap (yes that has happened!). Something as unusual as this relies on the common sense of the staff really, and being able to deal with situations as they crop up.

 

[142094]

I'm not entirely sure how the message is relayed from Control to the station, but when I was doing work at York station, they had printouts each morning detailing which service had a passenger on who required assistance. Of course it is then easy when the message is relayed over the radio to assume that you need/don't need a wheelchair for the passenger.

 

[TUC]

The other issue that my wife encountered on several occeasions was a member of staff guiding her onto the train then running off the train as quickly as possible without telling her where her bag had been put or any other location information.

Whilst recognising that the train needs to leave on time, the moment spent explaining where the bag was etc would have been no more than placing and removing a ramp for a passenger in a wheelchair. What seemed to be the problem was that the train despatching staff had not been informed that someone was helping a passenger to board and the staff member providing the assistance was worried about the train leaving with them on board. When a ramp was in place it was a visible symbol to despatching staff that the train was no yet ready to depart whereas they had no such signal wen a member of staff was proviiding other assistance. It surely should have been capable of being easily solved.

 

[Ferret]

The other issue that my wife encountered on several occeasions was a member of staff guiding her onto the train then running off the train as quickly as possible without telling her where her bag had been put or any other location information.

Whilst recognising that the train needs to leave on time, the moment spent explaining where the bag was etc would have been no more than placing and removing a ramp for a passenger in a wheelchair. What seemed to be the problem was that the train despatching staff had not been informed that someone was helping a passenger to board and the staff member providing the assistance was worried about the train leaving with them on board. When a ramp was in place it was a visible symbol to despatching staff that the train was no yet ready to depart whereas they had no such signal wen a member of staff was proviiding other assistance. It surely should have been capable of being easily solved.

I agree, it's not good at all. Because delays cost money, you end up with situations like this quite often. Usually resolvable by the Train Crew though.

Amusingly, on a couple of occasions I've failed to notice platform staff getting on with a passenger requiring assistance and self-dispatched, thus giving the platform waller a free ride to the next station! Well, if they don't tell you they are getting on, what do they expect?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

There are relatively basic courses (assisting people with the more common disabililties) for each successful applicant to a 'front line' job. Northern also give yearly safety briefs to most (if not all) staff which usually includes some form of refresher or reminder.

The basic course might be outsourced, depending on the TOC. My first course was outsourced and the trainer had a chip on his shoulder (apparently a relative was wheelchairbound), spending a good five minutes grilling one employee because she couldn't see the old lady (those of you who have been on his course will probably know the picture well). That was, to me, the best example of how poorly people can be treated by those in a position of power and how those who are around will just watch it happen.

Communication is usually an issue, I don't get informed of booked disabled passengers for some reason, no-one knows why apparently, but I just get on with the job, if they need assistance I'll do what I can. I also tell the guard if I need to get onboard and get off again, but it can cause a small delay.

 

[TUC]

Yesterday my wife was travelling from Ashford (Surrey) to London Waterloo. I'd contacted SWT two days earlier to arrange assistance at both ends. However when she turned up there were no staff to be seen. Her sister contacted SWT on the passenger intercom who said that they had no record of the assistance request but would contact the train to advise them. However when the train arrived the guard know nothing about it. To be fair he was extremely helpful and both contacted Waterloo to arrange someone to meet my wife off the train and himself made sure she got off OK.

However, even if one can accept that sometimes things go wrong and the original request didn't get passed on, it is concern that even when SWT were contacted again over the intercom and they promised to rectify the problem that this didn't happen. Once is unfortunate, twice is much harder to understand.

 

[Turbocharger]

The only thing I can think of for the reason of supplying wheelchairs for your wife TUC, is may be male staff are uncertain about physically touching customers now. Male or female. But then they would have to assist in getting someone in a wheelchair. I don't know.

But yes you have very good points I agree. When I am in my partner's office at Leeds and hear her radio, it's constantly about customers who will be arriving and requiring assistance. And I must admit the staff all sound caring and professional about it. I guess they just don't think about each case in more detail?

 

[krisk]

I've been in the role I do for ten years and we were given training as part of my training package but that's been it.

I am currently putting forward two suggestions :

1. As onboard crew we are also made aware of anyone travelling with a disability. This could be that Journey Care share that info with us so when I am working I am aware that if we can not do a trolley service to then speak to and offer refreshments at seat for anyone unable to visit the shop.

2. We are issued with contact details for JC that should we arrive at our destination and they are not there to meet a passenger who has booked assistance then we are able to contact them and chase it up. Far too often we arrive in and there is of sign of anyone. Also should anyone stop us whilst travelling and ask if it is possible to arrange assistance on arrival then we are able to make that call ourselves.

 

[TUC]

I've been in the role I do for ten years and we were given training as part of my training package but that's been it.

I am currently putting forward two suggestions :

1. As onboard crew we are also made aware of anyone travelling with a disability. This could be that Journey Care share that info with us so when I am working I am aware that if we can not do a trolley service to then speak to and offer refreshments at seat for anyone unable to visit the shop.

I have to admit that I always assumed that the crew were made aware of any passengers with disabilities (or at least the ones who had booked assistance). How else can a crew be expected to know to look out for them on issues like catering or, more seriously, if there was an incident of some sort?