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A woman with a canvas bag and a camera walking a sunlit cobbled lane under bougainvillea, the sea at the end

Travel · 15 min

Ask for help with the journey

Many trains, buses, stations and airports offer free help for people who need it, but you usually have to ask, and often ahead.

15 minutesFrom the library, free to readFour steps
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Stairs at a station, a gap at the platform edge, a crowded bus, a long walk through an airport: these keep many people at home who would otherwise travel. Much of the help that exists is free and little known, and it is usually there for people with hidden conditions as well as visible ones.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Think about a journey you would like to make, and write down the parts that are hardest: steps, distance, crowds, noise, finding the way, getting on and off.

  2. Look up the assistance service for the train, bus or airline company, or call the station, and ask what help they offer: ramps, someone to meet you, help with bags, a seat, a quieter place to wait.

  3. Book it in advance if you can, and write down the reference, the time and where to meet the staff.

  4. Look up whether you, or the person you travel with, may be eligible for a reduced-price travel pass or a free companion ticket, from the transport company or local services.

The reason

Why it helps

Staff can only help with what they know about. Booking ahead usually means someone is ready when you arrive, so the hardest parts of the trip are taken care of. Knowing that help is arranged can make the difference between going and staying home.

A gentle variation

If you are not ready for a longer trip, try a short, familiar journey first with assistance booked, to see how it works. Some services offer a card or lanyard that quietly lets staff know about a hidden condition, if you would find that useful.

Two friends on a stone wall after a walk

WE · TRIBE

Try itwith someone.

If you travel with someone, book the assistance together, so they can say what they need in their own words. If the person you care for is able to travel alone with assistance, it can be a real step of independence.

Make it a plan in HIVELIVE, with WE

Try it today

Today, look up the assistance service for one journey you would like to make, and write down its phone number.

Add it to your day

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