The Wayfinding Centre: A Beacon of Best Practice in Accessible Transportation
Introduction
The Wayfinding Centre is a groundbreaking initiative led by our Irish member, NCBI, in partnership with the National Transport Authority of Ireland. This visionary project aims to revolutionise Ireland's public spaces and public transport system, making them more inclusive and accessible for everyone.
This exciting project is the first of its kind in Europe and is due to open its doors in early 2024. Situated at Glasnevin, in Dublin, the Centre represents a bold step towards a future where accessibility, equity, and collaboration are at the heart of transport and public space planning.
Addressing Real-World Challenges
The Wayfinding Centre's core objective is to address the pressing challenges in accessibility within Ireland's streetscape and public transport system.
Recognising that journeys often involve multiple modes of transport, the Centre adopts a holistic "whole of journey" approach. It acknowledges that people's travel experiences involve interconnected transitions, such as walking, using public transport, and reaching their destination. By considering the entire landscape, the Centre aims to enhance the accessibility of streetscapes and public spaces.
Creating Inclusive Transport Solutions
A significant challenge faced by people with disabilities is accessing and effectively using public transport due to a lack of confidence, skills, and awareness. The Wayfinding Centre will address this issue by offering a unique approach. It will house real or working mock-up models of all types of public transport operated in Ireland under one roof. Expert trainers will provide best-practice training in a controlled environment, helping users gain confidence and skills before navigating dynamic real world public transport environments.
Co-Creation for Inclusive Infrastructure
At its core, the Wayfinding Centre fosters collaboration between people with disabilities, transport operators, local authorities, academics, industry experts, and third sector organisations. This collaborative approach will drive the development of bold, life-changing innovations. The Centre will serve as a hub for co-designing research with people who have disabilities, leading to the creation of accessible infrastructure that will impact future generations. It is also envisaged the Centre will host a number of European wide collaborative research projects in the areas of accessible transport and public space design.
Promoting Dignity and Equity
The Wayfinding Centre recognises that an inequitable system undermines human dignity. It aims to identify and disrupt the environmental, attitudinal, systemic, and physical barriers that limit participation and engagement in communities across Ireland and Europe. With an estimated 1.2 million potential beneficiaries in Ireland alone, the Centre will seek to provide essential training and awareness to multiple stakeholders who are involved in public transport provision and urban design.
Empowering Through Education and Training
The Centre's comprehensive services will include on-site instruction designed to empower individuals with access needs, disabilities, or reduced mobility to travel safely and independently. Furthermore, it will provide crucial information and awareness training for frontline staff and managers of transport operators to better understand the needs of people with various disabilities.
In addition, the Centre's integrated facility will foster collaboration among transport operators, undergraduates, professionals, designers, academics, and policy makers. By developing and testing emerging technologies, the Centre will strive to ensure that new systems are inclusive of people with disabilities' needs.
A Future of Inclusivity
NCBI believes the Wayfinding Centre will stand as a beacon of best practice in accessible transportation and public space design. NCBI hopes to present The Wayfinding Centre project at the forthcoming EBU General Assembly in Lisbon in February 2024. Once the Centre opens for visitors NCBI would be delighted to facilitate site visits for EBU members and to discuss training and collaborative projects that would benefit everyone in Europe who is blind or vision impaired. Visit the Wayfinding Centre website for more information or email admin@thewayfindingcentre.ie