Disabilities-R-Us

Hello all,

I am currently beginning my 4th year in an Industrial Design course in Ireland.
my brief is to design a product or service that tackles the issues of public transport for people with disabilities. Id really appreciate any help you guys could give me.
Id love to know of any issues you have with how the system is run.

Are there any particular problems you guys have with how the public transport system works?

Can you tell of a time or incident in which the public transport system failed you?

What mode of public transport do you have the most issues with?

Again Id appreciate any help.

I would say that one of the most problematic issues has to be train travel. I often feel as though I am left to my own devices there, which is very frustrating because I know that train travel would really get me a bit of mobility back that I am missing in my life.

The truly very worst possible way for a wheelchair user to travel is by air. They regard your chair as unwelcome cargo, and haul you on board with a modified sack barrow, then dump you into a standard seat - I did this once, NEVER again.

I have travelled in disabled sleeping compartments in Amtrak trains a number of times, and they are wonderful for long travel, not available for short travel. 

Because of the problems with public transport, I have a mobility van, that hauls me and my wheelchair wherever I need to go.

Locally, I use a paratransit service that, nine times out of ten, has been good for me and my wheelchair. I must admit, the idea of travelling outside of my city hasn't even occurred to me in the six years I've been disabled, probably because I'm too broke to go anywhere.

But, the biggest problem I've encountered in my limited experience is people who work in transport that have the "It's just a job" attitude, and are impatient or unkind to their disabled passengers. Granted, a number of my fellow pasengers have treated them with bitterness and frustration, but it really takes a special quality to work with the disabled.