Slow train to equality

Most of us would grumble if we had to wait half an hour for a train
but disabled people have now been told they could wait until 2017
for all trains to be made accessible to them.

A committee of MPs and peers calls that “an appropriate compromise”
between the needs of disabled people and the railway industry. All
right, it’s better than the original deadline of 2035 which would
mean, as one charity pointed out, some disabled people could be
able to travel to Mars before they could board a train. But is a
13-year wait really the best we can do?

But well done to the committee for urging the government to crack
on with bringing forward the draft bill – we’ve been waiting long
enough.

Their report also makes some useful recommendations that improve on
the original draft – for example placing a duty on public
authorities to promote good relations between disabled and
non-disabled people.

And finally, congratulations for suggesting a change in title to
the Disability Anti-Discrimination Bill – why didn’t someone come
up with that in the first place?