Pamela Thomas

“My first Disabled People’s Direct Action Network (DAN) demonstration was at Leeds Station 1994, it was against the inaccessibility of trains and stations. Disabled people handcuffed themselves to the London train, consequently it could not leave the station.

Today, disabled people are angry because there are still huge gaps between platforms and trains. We must book staff assistance and a ramp so when staff do not turn up disabled people are left on trains. Many stations are unstaffed or inaccessible due to stairs, few new trains have step-free access. The rail industry resists making level access a reality.

I was a City Councillor and sat on the Merseytravel Committee. When it received a presentation about procuring new trains, it did not include level access between train and platform. I said I would not vote for the trains unless they had step-free access, the Committee agreed. There followed a great deal of work by many people. As a result, the trains running from Liverpool Central station, and most of the Merseyrail network, allows more disabled people to travel without assistance. The Rage needed to drive forward the removal of disabling barriers remains unrecognised.”