Southeastern campaign encourages passengers to be mindful of those with accessibility requirements

Southeastern has launched a video to encourage passengers to support the accessibility needs of fellow travellers returning to the railway.

The campaign aims to inspire passengers to have a little patience and understanding that others may need extra time or help whilst travelling across the network.

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Filmed at Sevenoaks and London Bridge stations, the video showcases the importance of being open-minded to the experiences of others and features a cast of actors with both visible and non-visible accessibility requirements.

You can watch the video on the Southeastern website and social media pages, as well as on digital screens at the network’s stations. The videos are subtitled to ensure easy viewing for everybody.

What else for accessibility on the network?

The campaign contributes to part of a wider programme by Southeastern to support all passenger journeys, informed by its Accessible Travel Advisory Panel – led by triple Paralympian Andy Barrow – who will continually review and improve policy and practice.

Recent updates include the introduction of a roving Mobile Assistance role where specially trained personnel provide extra help onto trains, a bespoke disability awareness training program for all of Southeastern staff and accessibility updates to the Southeastern rail app.

This summer, the app became the first of its kind in the UK to incorporate mobile screen reader technology and dark mode to improve user accessibility. Passengers can also use it to access Passenger Assist, a national system across train companies which allows Southeastern to assist passengers with disabilities or restricted mobility. Customers can set up an accessibility profile on the app and book to request assisted travel with ease.

Southeastern’s Head of Marketing, Nikki Causer, said: “We wanted to engage with our passengers in a memorable way on the topic of accessibility, creating a campaign that was emotive and inclusive, rather than directly telling passengers how they should behave.

“As more passengers return to travelling on our trains after the pandemic, it felt like the right time to launch a campaign that works on different levels, focusing on the human detail of travelling to show how just a moment can make a big difference.”