If a guide in the form of a dog can travel for free, so should the guide in the form of a human being
Ben | July 9, 2010I was talking with a friend today, he’s got a severe case of visual and hearing loss, meaning he needs support to travel.
There’s a scheme called Direct Payments, that enables him to pay for someone to be his guide (normally around £7.50 an hour) to gets around – e.g., to keep well, to shop, to meet people, to find work, etc.
That does not cover travel expenses for the guide. In other words, he has to pay all the travel expenses for the guide, out of his own pocket. To get to the eye hospital in London, for example, (I’m sure you appreciate that it’s not easy to take a dog guide around London) he would have to pay:
1. his own travel expenses PLUS his guide’s travel expenses:
a) £36 each for Winchester to London (after railcard discount – a third off);
b) £3.60 each for the Underground (Oyster);
2. refreshments – e.g., tea/coffee, water, etc. – about £3 each for the whole trip.
£85.20 is the total. All out of his own pocket. If he was to be a sighted passenger, it’d have been only £42.60.
A large percentage of that is for the train fares. On this Winchester to London route, unlike elsewhere in the UK, there is no cheaper advance ticket.
Am I the only one thinking that, if guide dogs for the blind can travel for free, shouldn’t guides in the form of human beings too?
If number of people with severe visual impairment and a guide travelling on the train is 1 out of 1,000 (honestly, I’ve never seen any myself), then is it not reasonable to expect the impact to train company’s revenues to be negligible. Moreover, train companies have been able to introduce various discounts and therefore I feel it’s only fair that the person with a severe visual impairment (often with very low income) and a human being guide shouldn’t pay twice the fare.
Update:
If you agree, it’d be excellent if you could sign this: http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/37646.html
TYVM! 
I totally agree with this. It seems ridiculuous that the
inwils | July 9, 2010I totally agree with this.
It seems ridiculuous that the guide does not travel for free! I know that some theatres give a half price or free ticket for the interpreter if there are not providing a BSL signed performance.
I am off to sign the petition!
I'm not 100% with that approach we should just scrap
MM | July 9, 2010I’m not 100% with that approach we should just scrap the DLA (Lower rate), which is no use to man nor beast, and deaf are spending on beer, and demand an communication allowance, that at least matches a minimum 2 hours a week to cover an interpreter or carer with you. In Wales if you assist a disabled person on public transport then they do travel free anyway. What I found was that direct payments would only be given IF you are wanting to meet with the ‘system’ there was no support for ‘socials’ which a trip to London would come under. I doubt any government is going to stump up money for deaf to socialise, and have day trips. An communication allowance is better, but obviously MUST be adequate enough to cover all expenses, the DAL LR, is no use at all, perhaps Vouchers ? then interpreters can claim expenses through the DWP, albeit I suss the DWP will make them work for it ! Our new coalition governments says no for at least the next 5 years to anything,and are about to curtail DLA as well.