Emma Partlow, director of consumer engagement and policy at Transreport and one of the Shaw Trust’s Disability Power 100, reveals how the industry can break down barriers to create more-connected travel experiences
Technology has the potential to play a transformative role in the way people plan their travel. With hotel rooms and transport tickets available in just a few clicks, unforgettable global experiences can be researched and booked in a matter of minutes.
While many businesses commit to supporting their customers, further improvements must be made to ensure that travel experiences are accessible. Transport barriers are significantly impacting the way Disabled and older people, and those with diverse access needs, travel. Recent research from the National Centre for Accessible Transport shows that almost 8 in 10 Disabled people travel less often because of accessibility challenges, and over half (55%) choose not to make as many unfamiliar journeys because of travel barriers.
A considerable amount of planning is required in advance of embarking on a trip, from organising assistance at domestic and foreign airports, to researching accessible parking and accessible routes in a new city. This leads to a substantial time investment for people to feel confident that they can travel safely and securely, before their trip begins.
Reflecting on my own lived experiences, travelling by air with an assistance dog, I have found myself having to repeat my access needs at the airport check in desk, even after I’ve pre-booked assistance. There is often an assumption that I am blind or visually impaired due to my assistance dog, which can lead to inappropriate offers of assistance from staff.
The question, therefore, is how can we break down barriers to create more connected travel experiences, and what role does technology have to play in this?
Equitable travel requires a collective mindset shift to prioritise accessibility – and a logical first step is for businesses and service providers to embrace smart technology solutions. While this must take place in tandem with wider infrastructural and attitudinal change, technology has a powerful role to play in dismantling barriers to accessibility in the immediate future.
For example, at Transreport, our passenger assistance technology empowers Disabled and older people, and anyone with access needs, to arrange assistance in advance, streamlining communication between people and service providers.
For people using the platform, this provides reassurance that personal information is handled sensitively, and personalised assistance is both quicker and easier to organise. From an operator perspective, assistance requests are tracked in one central platform, allowing smooth coordination between office and frontline teams.
Coordination with Disabled people is essential to shape solutions that address real consumer needs and our Passenger Assistance technology is co-designed with the Disabled community to overcome barriers. The priority is to ensure a smoother booking experience, communicating needs ahead of time, while providing greater choice, control and autonomy in every interaction between people using the platform and service providers.
Prioritising inclusion is also a smart business decision, and research backs this up, with 72% of Disabled people likely to return to an accessible business or service, highlighting the correlation between inclusion and long-term customer loyalty.
Furthermore, research has shown that The Purple Pound, the collective spending power of Disabled consumers, generates up to £274bn each year in the UK. While Accenture research also demonstrates that firms championing Disability inclusion have higher revenues, net income and profit margins.
Investing in the Purple Pound is key to future-proofing a business in travel and tourism. Currently, one in five people in the UK identify as Disabled, but a lot of individuals do not identify as Disabled, and ageing populations are growing at pace worldwide.
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs predicts that there will be 2.1 billion people over the age of 60 by 2050, which is double the number in 2024. This is a significant market to access, and technology companies will be at the forefront of improving accessibility in travel infrastructure.
To drive this accessibility in the right way, input and involvement of Disabled and older communities is essential. At Transreport, for example, we are committed to the principle of Nothing About Us Without Us, and our solutions are grounded in lived experience insights. Furthermore, we must ensure that technologies are as inclusive as possible, catering to the wide variety of needs and aligning with incoming legislation like the European Accessibility Act 2025, which underlines digital accessibility as a major opportunity for businesses in the travel sector and beyond.
Businesses now have the opportunity to invest in smart tools and solutions that not only simplify assistance booking and tracking, but create more inclusive experiences. While it is only one part of the solution to achieving more accessible travel, technology is a key part of driving improvements across the industry.