Talk Description
Institution: Transdev Sydney Ferries - NSW, Australia
Designing and delivering services with accessibility in mind is critical, with 1 in 5 Australians reporting living with a disability and an increasingly aged population.
Responding to this reality, Transdev Sydney Ferries' has implemented an award-winning program of work attending a comprehensive transformation which meets and exceeds the needs of legislation and our customers.
Developed and executed over three years, the Accessible Transport Action Plan involved extensively consulting available data, subject matter experts and community. Initially, a self-assessment was conducted which established a baseline and identified gaps. Work undertaken included:
- Procuring new vessels; refurbishing older vessels and introducing new gangways on our Manly route.
- Engaging an independent auditor whom oversaw a review and implemented changes across all passenger information display screens across the Sydney Ferries network.
- Implementing mobility cards for customers with disability, age or language barriers to more easily communicate their needs to employees and other passengers, helping them find their way or receive additional assistance.
- Developing internal training which reiterated the need for frontline staff to deliver high-quality customer service to all customers, including those with diverse needs.
- Production and distribution of an Accessibility & Inclusion Guide across all Transdev businesses, aligning customer-facing communications, ensuring they adhere to accessibility requirements and achieve positive outcomes for our customers.
The continued success of these efforts is assured by an iterative reviews every two years and a monthly reporting framework in the form of our Customer Service and Accessibility Dashboard, which enables a detailed, transparent assessment of accessibility and inclusion performance.