Tanni Grey-Thompson (Former Paralympic Champion) On BBC Breakfast [27.08.2024]

the paral Olympics begins tomorrow in Paris and one sporting icon who will be Central to the BBC's coverage is paralympic gold medalist and crossbench Pier baroness Tanny grey Thompson now we've spoken to her before about the need for better accessibility on public transport for people with disabilities something that once again reared its head for her again last night she was left having to crawl off a train when there was no one there to help uh we can speak to baroness Tanny now um good morning to you how you doing what happened happen last night so I was booked on the quarter past 7 train from leads missed it got to the station 7:30 and they said don't worry we'll put you on the quarter to8 uh got into London at 2201 uh no one was there to meet me uh you're meant to give about five minutes uh for anyone to come and get you I left that I started tweeting um and then 16 minutes after sitting on the train uh I decided there was no one coming there was you know there was a a cleaner on board but they're not insured or able to help you off they're not trying to use ramps I decided to crawl off so I had to get out of my chair on the floor push it off uh and all my bags uh and and get off the train that way Tanny this sounds absolutely horrific and I think maybe what makes it worse is this is definitely not the first time we've had this conversation is it I mean how fed up are you of having to say this out loud again and again it's exhausting and and I'm really lucky I have a huge amount of privilege that you know actually various stations follow me on social media um and are able to pick up this it happens to lots and lots of disabled people um we've got a booking app which is not really foot for purpose and it fails if there's lack of communication we have a legal right to turn up and go just to ask to get on a train um and trains were meant to be step three by January the 1st 2020 um and the last government said it's going to be hundred years before disabled people can get on a train without the permission or support of a non-disabled person uh and it's just it's exhausting really I was really angry last night um I mean mostly because you know I can just about do it but there are lots and lots of other disabled people who can't and would have been stuck until who knows when so a 100 years for the trains to be fully accessible what is astonishing in itself but that's a sort of a different argument isn't it what is the process now how should it work if things work properly so if you turn up and go there should be communication from one station to the other uh and there is an app but actually a lot of the train companies use different apps they don't even all use the same app um and um unless you're trained to use the ramp you're not insured to use it so a cleaner did offer to help me when I was halfway off the train TR but um you know I I didn't want to put them in a difficult position Frontline staff are meant to be trained um not all of them are I had a another issue at the weekend where I tried to go on a train elpr and was told the Frontline staff aren't trained I did find somebody who could operate the ramp but you know in this day and age it's just it's not right and you know we're we're on the verge of the par Olympics um if another non-disabled person tells me 2012 changed the world for disabled people I will literally scream it was incredible games it was brilliant it just raised the bar on the paral Olympics but there's so much other stuff it just hasn't changed and we shouldn't expect it to and Tanny um I imagine if this is happening to you how many other people is this happening too Lots uh and people who are exhausted about complaining who don't have the the platform or the profile that that I do who just get ignored who get fobbed off um you know uh train companies are getting sued week in week out for offering a really poor service to disabled people and actually that should be a new story in itself how much of the train companies you know uh pay in when when things fail um nobody else has to go through this process of booking or having to beg to get on a train um so why should we um and Tanny Ellen say they're the train company of course they say they're in the process of investigating they're in contact with the customer what assumes you here directly you've heard all of that before look you have a position here you have a you know access will you raise this with the government because clearly waiting a 100 years if you've as you've touched on for those trains to be accessible is not an option what needs to change and what can the government do to make sure that there is full accessibility for people who need it um I've been raising it with uh every government of every color since the '90s uh I've spoken in debates in the chamber about about this um what needs to happen there needs to be a commitment to level boarding uh it's it's not cheap but it's only going to get more expensive and it and is that trains and platforms Tanny sorry platform well you can you can buy trains um that that are lower level even if you bought one Carriage per train that would be different but the government have to put it in in the procurement process the train companies have to accept that they need to change um you know it's change has to start now we can't just keep saying we'll sort it in a few years time because it will never change if something isn't done now and they've had years to do it but it's called derogations everyone has just kicked the can down the road by allowing derogations by allowing them get out Clauses uh and and I'm I'm just a bit tired of it to be honest I'm still quite angry to be honest yeah I bet um thank you for talking to us this morning um yeah it's we will follow it closely uh Tanny gr Thoms and good to have you with us as always and enjoy the par Olympics we'll speak to you soon take care