Free travel training for disabled people in Devon
Honiton Carers are the latest group of people to take part in travel training from the Devon-wide initiative, ‘Travelling with Confidence.’ The free training is designed to help people with disabilities to feel more confident when using public transport.
The project is being delivered by Living Options Devon and Devon Communities Together, thanks to funding from Motability Foundation. The training covers, journey planning, overcoming unexpected barriers, dealing with anxieties and how to make the most of travel assistance available,.
Travel Trainer, Laila Afifi, from Living Options Devon explains, “The training has been co-produced by people with lived-experience of disability, to make sure sessions cover what matters to disabled travellers.
Training takes place over four sessions and includes taking trips as a group using local buses and trains. We offer a friendly and supportive environment, and we also have a lot of fun along the way! We are delighted at how popular and positive the feedback has been so far.”
Talking about the training Winnie Cameron, Honiton Carers, Chair said: “Honiton Carers Support Group feel the travelling training has been very beneficial to our attendants who all have various disabilities and are often lonely and isolated as a result.”
Project Manager Rod Birtles of Devon Communities Together said, “On a previous project, Connecting You, we trained community workers to support their clients with travelling. We learned that there was a need for training for disabled travellers to help them overcome the many barriers that they face, from hard to use booking websites to physical access and the confidence to get out there and catch a bus or train.”
The sessions are designed to help empower disabled people with information and skills to feel more confident when using public transport. In turn, this scheme aims to help more disabled people to enjoy independent travel whether that be for work, leisure or education.
Free travel training sessions will be taking place throughout 2025 and running at various locations across Devon.
Anyone interested, for themselves, a friend, family member or community group is encouraged to get in touch by contacting Laila.Afifi@livingoptions.org
The Travelling with Confidence initiative is also working with transport organisations and policy makers to improve information and support for disabled travellers. More information is available at www.livingoptions.org/projects/travelling-with-confidence
Travel training February 2025
The February sessions of the Free Travel Training commenced on 4th February with 9 attendants enjoying their first session in the classroom at Honiton Business Park. Really informative session with attendants learning not only how to use the Stage Coach App but also how to download the app and use the internet in general. Quite a challenge for some.
The second session took part on 11th February when we met at the Job Centre/Tesco bus stops respectively so everyone could get on nearest to their own residence. We enjoyed a bus ride to Seaton, had refreshments in Pebbles and had a pleasant ride back on the same bus an hour later. Unfortunately it was not sunny like it was when the January group visited Seaton. However the Seaton support group happened to be at Pebbles having a quiz, so a lot of chatting and catching up was done.
Our next session will take place on Tuesday 25th February when we go on the train to Exeter from Honiton Station.
Thursday 27th February 2025
Was the last session which completed February’s Travel training and every one was issued with their certificates.
On Tuesday 25th February we had a good training session from Honitonb train station to Exeter Central and booked assisted Travel last minute at the station. Ideally you should book it at least 2 hours before. They were however very obliging, arranged for the ramp and phoned ahead and arranged for us to have this service at the other end too both when arriving and departing.
We just had time for a quick cuppa at the Station Cafe, between trains, which was lovely. No hitches, the trains were running on time and the travel assistance at Exeter end was absolutely delightful.
On Thursday 27th February we were back in the Classroom at the Beehive. We learned how to use the apps, how to download them but also learned that the Google Map is much better for planning a journey than the bus and train apps. Everyone was in awe at learning how much you can see and learn on the Google map. We also learned how to cope with the anxiety a lot of us feel when travelling on public transport. Did the STOP exercise and other calming exercises, which can be used any time of the day and night.
The Travel Training has been really beneficial to all our members who have participated during January and February and which has let to us probably doing a 3rd one later in the year, when everyone recovers from their winter illnesses.
