World view UK Inclusive journeys Research from RNIB and 2CV has focused on improving the accessibility of public transport for people with sight loss. By Harriet Bird and Abigail Plank How was your journey today? Travel is an essential part of everyday life but its not just getting from A to B. Its about earning an income, catching up with friends and family and exploring new places. Its the bridge that connects us to the wealth of experiences the world has to offer. For blind and partially-sighted people (BPSP), travelling independently is a critical factor in improving quality of life and achieving a sense of autonomy. People with sight loss are unable to drive, so for journeys that cannot be made by walking, they rely on public transport, taxis, and lifts from friends and relatives. With a breadth of accessibility issues, however, using public transport can be a daunting experience for people with sight loss. Sight loss charity RNIB believes that accessible design is better for everyone: creating solutions to barriers can deliver a greater sense of independence and an improved public transport service for all. With funding from charity Motability, RNIB was able to dig deeper into the unique challenges of journeys made by people with sight loss through an in-depth programme of research. This research involved a client-agency partnership in which RNIB conducted some of the research in-house through its ongoing voice of the customer programme and brought in 2CV for the ethnographic study. There was a high response rate to participation in the research; the tracker survey usually gets around 400 responses, but this round received 512 which made recruitment a more straightforward process than expected and, crucially, highlighted just how important this research, and its aims, are perceived to be among people with sight loss. The research programme comprised: Quantitative: Telephone interviews and online surveys with 512 BPSP Qualitative: Six focus groups and 10 travel diaries with 18 BPSP Ethnographic study: Digital and face-to-face ethnographies across a range of journeys and transport modes across the UK with BPSP, followed by solutionsfocused co-creation workshops. Creating an accessible digital ethnography experience was critical to 2CVs approach. It invited blind and partially sighted participants to document journeys using a research platform with accessibility features, including high contrast mode, accessible rich internet applications (Aria) attributes, and offline access. The digital ethnographies being moderator-free meant that journeys could be as natural as possible, and they provided the opportunity for participants to independently tackle any travel disruptions and report back. Beyond this, 2CV factored in several accessibility considerations, including: avoiding visual stimulus during workshops; co-designing questions with participants to inform future digital ethnography studies; and following accessibility guidelines for reporting. Our research allowed participants to highlight the key challenges they face on public transport. Three findings stand out: 1. Travel is a hugely emotional experience We all know that taking public transport can bring up a range of emotions. For BPSP, the fear of something going wrong is felt more acutely. This means they rely much more 12 Impact ISSUE 42 2023_pp12-13 WV UK.indd 12 16/06/2023 16:55