Accessibility panel

Alex is a young wheelchair user who sits on the Youth Board of the charity Whizz Kidz, as the Welsh representative. Alex often uses the public transport network independently with his assistance dog and being unable to drive due to seizures, he has first-hand experience of the importance accessibility on all public transport has for a young wheelchair user. Also being neurodivergent, he hopes he can bring his wide experience to also ensure the voices of young neurodivergent people in Wales are heard.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I would like to use my experiences to ensure young wheelchair users feel just as confident using the transport network as their able-bodied peers.

Alun is an established rights campaigner having worked in senior positions in the Disability Rights Commission, Equality & Human Rights Commission and the Older People’s Commissioner’s office. Prior to these roles he was RNIB’s Parliamentary Officer. Alan is partially sighted. He is currently a carer for an elderly partner with a range of physical and mental health impairments. Both are regular rail travellers.

I offer Transport for Wales my working knowledge of equality laws and their practical application including interaction with Welsh language obligations.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I want to help embed disability equality impact assessments into day to day decision - making.

Amanda is a frequent traveller on public transport and uses the train several times a week to get her to meetings and for leisure. She is a volunteer coach with Riding for the Disabled working with adults and children with different disabilities, specialising in teaching dressage. Amanda is also volunteers as a Rail Pastor, an initiative involving trained volunteers from the local churches who look out for vulnerable people travelling on the railways and help where they can. She takes any opportunity that she can to promote the rights of the disabled person and represent their needs.

I want to contribute my experiences as a passenger using a wheelchair to improve the experience of rail travel from booking assistance to leaving the station.

Andrea lives in Swansea and manages Guide Dogs Cymru's engagement team. She is a member of the Accessible Transport Panel which has played a major role in developing the Welsh Government's accessible transport objectives. Andrea actively campaigns for the inclusion of disabled people in all areas of life and, as a guide dog owner, has a particular interest in the inclusion of people with sight loss. Her job involves influencing policy makers at a strategic level which requires a sound technical knowledge of inclusive practice in the built environment and the application of equality legislation. Andrea is Chair of Vision Impaired West Glamorgan (VIWG) a charity representing the views and concerns of people with sight loss in Swansea. This involves influencing local transport infrastructure and strategy, requiring an understanding of local as well as national transport planning.

I am a frequent independent user of rail services and am passionate about ensuring they are accessible and inclusive.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

Accessible and inclusive transport information is particularly critical for people with sight loss, including audio-visual announcements at stations and on-board all trains.

Emily Nash is passionate about making public transport easier to use for people with disabilities. Emily is a post graduate researcher at Coventry University, and her interests are in the challenges faced by travellers with sight loss and how information that is relevant and accessible can support independent and confident travelling for this group. Emily lives in south Wales and is registered severely sight impaired. She has two children with the same eye condition.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I am keen to promote support for children and young people accessing public transport.

Eric is an autism self-advocate at the Department of Health and Social Care, working cross-government on the national autism strategy in England. Diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, Dyspraxia and ADHD, Eric has advocated for those with hidden impairments and has co-run ‘Autonomy’, a self-help and social group for autistic adults for the past 15 years. In his spare time Eric writes and records music as ‘E.L. Heath’ (his Welsh-language album ‘Tŷ’ was featured as ‘album of the week’ on BBC Radio Cymru in 2013). He also plays cricket, having represented the England Learning Disability Lions, the Shropshire County Disability team for 18 years and his local club Knockin and Kinnerley. Eric lives with his partner Victoria in rural Mid-Wales at the base of a towering hill.

Living in Mid-Wales, I'm keen to help improve my local rail service, which is a critical link many people rely on. My interest in transport, with a view to access, has been life-long.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

As someone with recognised hidden impairments, I’m keen to improve access in areas which are less obvious and for conditions which are less visible, aiming to improve access for all. Areas such as perception and communication can be critical barriers if not addressed and the increased use of technology to help navigate our complex rail network is vital to helping plan and complete a journey. Areas such as this can only help build confidence and independence if made accessible to all.

Glyn is from Cwmbran and is profoundly deaf and a BSL user. He is a frequent and avid user of travelling on the railways, with a long-standing passion for rail. He joined the panel to share his own personal experiences of the barriers faced as a deaf person using the railways and is keen to advocate for all Deaf people. He believes that we have the ability to improve access for all given the technological advances we have now.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I would like to make sure that every train and every station has accessible information specifically to those who are Deaf and BSL Users.

Hannah is an autistic tutor who facilitates creative writing classes for adults with disabilities. She is also a Trustee for Barry Pride, working as the DEI and volunteer coordinator. Hannah was listed on the Pinc list 2025 for her work within the LGBTQIA community, revolving around creating safe and inclusive spaces for the arts and at Pride. Hannah lives with other chronic health conditions that affect her day-to-day activities, and she supports family members who have mobility issues, too, giving her a broad spectrum of experience with access needs.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

Having been diagnosed as agoraphobic for several years because of sensory overwhelm, I would like to ensure that public transport is accessible to neurodivergent users.

Joshua Reeves BEM is a disability rights consultant and social entrepreneur based in Wales, with a strong track record of influencing accessibility and inclusion across transport and public services. He is Founder and Chief Executive of Reeves Disability Consultancy CIC and Chair of Don’t Call Me Special, providing strategic leadership on disability inclusion, accessibility policy, and lived-experience-led systems change.

Joshua brings extensive lived and professional expertise in co-production, reasonable adjustments, and accountability, working with organisations and public bodies to translate policy into practical, operational improvements that enhance Disabled passengers’ real-world experiences. He is widely recognised for his constructive challenge, ethical approach, and ability to support meaningful, evidence-led improvements in accessibility.

Joshua was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to disability advocacy and inclusion.

Born and raised in Ynys Mon, Judi’s interest in trains started off at the age of three when she took herself off to the local train station at Rhosneigr to go and watch the steam trains. Throughout her careers in the Royal Navy, Gloucestershire County Council children’s services and in management consultancy, she has always had an interest in equality and diversity issues. Amongst other involvements in her spare time, she was an elected board member of her local hospital trust, where she led the overhaul of their equality and diversity training. One of her assignments as a management consultant was with Network Rail, working on the level crossing risk management programme.

Is there a specific issue you would like to champion on the panel?

I would like to extend my experience to the Crossrail programme now that’s my eyesight is deteriorating significantly, which has prompted a greater reliability on Rail services generally.

Kat is a full-time electric wheelchair user and a regular traveller on public and private transport. She is an activist for disabled people in her spare time and works for Disability Wales the rest of the time. In the past, she’s been involved with changing taxi licensing rules in Swansea. She has also done a couple of travel vlogs, including her journey to the Rugby World Cup in France.

She has an assistance dog called Purdey, who really helps with her confidence when out and about. However, since getting her, she has found travel even harder, getting people to understand that they can’t interact with her and prejudices from some. Though, mostly people are just fascinated by her.

Is there a specific issue you wish to champion on the panel?

I am campaigning to make travel easier with an assistance dog as an electric wheelchair user.

Kirsty is a Campaigns Officer for RNIB Cymru. She supports blind and partially sighted people with local and national campaign issues, such as transport, shared space and accessible information. Kirsty volunteers for two sight loss charities Look UK and Esme’s Umbrella to help others overcome barriers they experience. She sits on various health board steering groups, Council Access Groups and ITV Accessibility Panel. Kirsty has been travelling independently using rail for the last thirteen years with a vision impairment.

Working for RNIB Cyrmu, I hope my involvement in the panel will help our organisations work in a joined-up and strategic way.

Margaret is a blind veteran and has neuro-sensory hearing loss. She is also an ambassador for Deafblind UK and Blind Veterans in South Wales. Margaret is the volunteer Chairperson of the local Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot Group. She believes in the principle of equality of travel - geographical equality of access with ease of travel for all members of society irrespective of ability/disability.

My main aim on the panel is to fight under the banner ‘disability is not geographical’.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I really want parity in bus and train travel throughout Wales and the UK in general.

Margaret Everson MBE was Director for Wales for Bus Users Cymru and dealt with strategy and policy matters as well as bus punctuality and reliability. Since stepping down from Bus Users Cymru in 2018, Margaret has continued her work in public transport as General Manager for the TrawsCymru long distance bus and coach service for Welsh Government until 2021. She has worked in public transport since 1977 and is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. She also holds a CPC in National and International PSV Operations.

Margaret was appointed an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2013 for services to bus users and transport in Wales. She joined the panel to pursue her interest in the provision of information and movement around railway stations, as well as the door to door experience of travel for older and less mobile people.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

The way essential information is presented - the right height and a big enough font for everybody to be able read it.

Mark has expressed a keen interest in travel since his youth, spending countless hours as a teenager travelling across North Wales by both bus and train. Mark volunteers as a Travel Ambassador for Gig Buddies - a project ran by Learning Disabilities Wales. Mark has a physical disability, a learning disability, and is visually impaired. He also supports his partner who has a Learning Disability and is registered blind. Mark has experience in accessibility, information services and speaks both Welsh and English, Mark has been a member of the panel since it commenced.

He joined the accessibility and inclusion panel to ensure that everyone, regardless of their disability have their voices heard.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I would like to make sure that every train and every station has readily accessible information in a format that can be understood by all.

My name is Rachel Jones and I’m an avid train traveller. I was born with a vision impairment called Retinitis Pigmentosa and was never able to learn to drive, so using trains is the main way that I feel I can be independent. I lived on the Heart of Wales line for most of my life, and now live on the Cambrian line, and so a passion of mine is advocating for better rural transport links as well as better accessibility on trains and at stations. I work for RNIB Cymru, the sight loss charity, and campaign for better awareness and understanding of sight loss as well as social change to break down the barriers faced by blind and partially sighted people.

Robert is from Llandudno, North Wales. He is diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome and lives with a range of related difficulties and health issues ranging from anxiety to dyspraxia and other physical issues. Robert is passionate about photography (specialising in railway photography) alongside cosplay and modelling work. He has been doing community rail projects with Arriva Trains Wales (and now Transport for Wales) for the last few years, including the Confident Traveller project and promotes the Orange Wallet scheme. Robert also produces photography for the TfW media team. He is also working on a documentary project on Autism with ‘TAPE Community Music and Film’ based in Old Colwyn, North Wales.

I want to make a positive contribution to the railway industry that will enable people with disabilities to travel more confidently and comfortably.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I particularly want to highlight the difficulties faced by people like myself who have hidden disabilities and are less likely to receive assistance by staff if they lack understanding of invisible disabilities.

Theodore is a frequent traveller and has travelled with a number of services across the wider network to understand how they assist disabled passengers differently. He works independently when it comes to reviewing other rail operators across the wider network. Theodore is also profoundly deaf and uses a wheelchair due to a neurological disorder.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I joined the panel to bring ideas and change that would help disabled people travel independently and ensure that every journey matters to those who rely on public transport.

Tracy lives in Anglesey. She has a mild learning disability and is a stroke survivor. She is heavily involved with All Wales People First and was a chairperson for two years. She is also a Regional Ambassador for Electric Umbrella, which is a music charity in Hertfordshire. Tracy is an avid train user who regularly travels independently to places such as Manchester and Watford.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

I would like to help people with Learning Disabilities who have problems accessing trains independently.

Trevor’s interest in access issues has evolved since his diagnosis with MS in 1994. He is a Director of Disability Wales, a Trustee of See Around Britain and was contracted to establish and run the Wales Millennium Centre Disability Advisory Group during its construction and fitting out. In 2018 Trevor was awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to disabled people in Wales. Being a full time wheelchair user who travels with his PA / Support worker in the course of running his business, good access is important to Trevor’s independence. His social model approach is key to the panel’s success.

I’m on the panel to offer my knowledge and skills to improve the travel experience of disabled passengers.

Is there a specific issue you want to champion on the panel?

Businesses can sometimes forget customer experience for their disabled customers. So I want to focus on customer experience of every aspect of rail travel including physical access, staff attitudes and business practice.