Sustrans reports focus on active travel challenges for children, neurodivergent people of all ages, and the LGBTQIA+ community
With inclusivity becoming increasingly relevant, there is a growing need for data on how minority groups experience challenges and encounter barriers in their daily life. Reports from Sustrans reveal barriers and challenges for children, LGBTQIA+ people, and neurodivergent people.
Sustrans, a POLIS member, is a leading UK-based charity enabling people to travel by walking, wheeling or cycling for more of the journeys that are made every day. Committed to making active travel more accessible and inclusive for everyone, Sustrans focuses on topics such as disability exclusion, thus providing comprehensive advice for policymakers on how to move forward. In particular, their work on gender equality and mental health is a great example of how to open up conversations on the Just Transition, sustainable urban mobility, and how to achieve both.
In 2024, Sustrans published several reports on how to improve the experiences of members of the LGBTQIA+ community and neurodivergent people of all ages. In addition, they developed the first Children's Walking and Cycling Index. Check out the reports to explore different ways to improve active travel and quality of life for all.
Out and about: LGBTQIA+ experiences of active travel
When engaging in active travel, LGBTQIA+ people face specific issues. Sustrans’ report 'Out and about: LGBTQIA+ experiences of active travel' found that although both challenges and benefits for LGBTQIA+ who took part in the research are not exclusive to their demographic, their experiences are still tightly woven with the barriers they encounter because they are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
In this context, safety is a recurring worry for those interviewed. This is not exclusively related to the typical safety concerns anyone faces while engaging in active travel, such as road safety or infrastructure issues. They are instead linked to the need to always be hyper-alert to avoid encountering homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia and the risk for related violence and/or harassment.
Read 'Out and about: LGBTQIA+ experiences of active travel'
Neurodivergence and active travel: Addressing the barriers for adults and children
Tackling the needs of an often overlooked minority group, Sustrans issued the report 'Neurodiversity and
Active Travel – An evidence review', which investigates the experience of neurodivergent people as they navigate walking, wheeling, and cycling in Scotland.
What is neurodivergence? The term is commonly used as an umbrella, including several neurological differences such as autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or dyslexia.
As neurodivergent people often struggle with navigation, sensory sensitivity, and reduced spatial awareness, together with other issues that may impact accessibility to various transport options, Sustrans’ report has identified recommendations to address such challenges.
Read 'Neurodivergence and active travel: addressing the barriers'
Sustrans’ involvement with neurodivergent people has been also expanded to a second report, 'Disabled Children’s Travel to School - Focusing on Neurodiverse Experiences', which is dedicated to exploring ways to support neurodivergent children in their experience of walking, wheeling, and cycling to school.
The report highlighted how the challenges that neurodivergent people face when engaging in active travel are even more relevant for children. At the same time, the benefits for neurodivergent children who experience active travel are remarkable: from being able to release energy to improving children’s social and physical skills in public spaces, as well as improving parents’ trust in their children’s abilities.
Read 'Disabled Children’s Travel to School'
Children's Walking and Cycling Index
As a testament to their dedication to making children’s needs become a priority in decision-making processes, Sustrans developed the first Children’s Walking and Cycling Index.
Children’s experiences are usually overlooked in transport planning, except for their school-related journeys, which leaves out any other travel experiences they might engage in daily. The report was thus designed to amplify the voices of children living in the UK, giving decision-makers a chance to prioritise children’s needs.
Read 'Children’s Walking and Cycling Index 2024'
