Overview
One specific area, for which there is still lack of EU level data, is the accessibility of public transport for people with disabilities and its impact on the employment and social integration prospects of people with disabilities.
PTaccess directly contacted national experts within each of 25 member states as well as draw on results of other projects and initiatives. Organising the work in this way PTaccess obtained excellent results. The project outcomes are downloadable from the project website, and were distributed to European stakeholders by electronic newsletters, press releases, and via network-contacts.
PTaccess was coordinated by Austrian Mobility Research FGM-AMOR. The consortium, which included experts from all relevant stakeholder groups, provided excellence know-how and experience of various disciplines.
PTaccess worked towards filling this gap in knowledge and obtained actual information on the current state of accessibility of urban and rural public transport systems in 25 EU member states. For each member state PTaccess analysed the state of accessibility of public transport from the point of view of national disabled organisations, national transport operators, and governmental authorities. For regions where public transport is not accessible PTaccess identified and analysed alternative transport solutions applied (WP1).
PTaccess also identified and analysed good practices and innovation in making public transport accessible and enhanced the scientific base of policy by providing a sound assessment of the costs and benefits of making public transport accessible (WP2).
Furthermore, PTaccess deepened the understanding of the transport-related contexts of social exclusion of disabled people, and draw conclusions about the effect which accessible public transport has on employment and social inclusion prospects for disabled people. (WP3).