Navigating the tube as a blind person

[Chris M]

This is an enlightening short video about two people, one blind one sighted, with two large suitcases navigating from the Elizabeth line to Euston via Tottenham Court Road.

[towerman]

Used to be the case if they needed assistance they were escorted from booking office to their train then would advise destination station running number and car number they were travelling on so they coul be met.Does this still happen?

[Colin]

Whilst there are certainly less staff on stations than there used to be, they are absolutely able to assist customers with disabilities such as blindness or wheelchair users (by deploying platform to train ramps). They will also assist with groups such as school children or adults with learning difficulties.

On a daily basis it happens far more than you might think!

It's not always the case that such people need assistance though. Regular commuters know their routes - blind or not they just get on with it.

My only bug bear as a driver is that they don't always inform us of the destination of people they're assisting onto trains but it's not usually the end of the world as long as there's a member of staff set up to meet them at the destination station.

As for the "more step free please" in the video........we'd all love to achieve that aim but of course at some stations it just isn't physically possible as they were built long before the concept of step free became a thing.

[Chris L]

I saw a presentation about a system developed in Paris which can steer blind/partially sighted people through stations and shopping centres and even help you cross the road at crossings by knowing when the green phase is lit.

It can even tell you that there are special offers in shops as you approach them.