Zuidasdok wins prize for its focus on the disabled

The independent advisory body The Travellers’ Advisory Council (RAR) represents the interests of public transport passengers and awards the trophy to an organisation or project that specifically includes access for people with disabilities as part of its plans. But, according to the RAR’s Peter Visser, this is not the whole story: ‘The prize is deliberately intended to serve as an incentive to continue to do this in the future – Zuidasdok is on the right track, but there is always room for improvement.’

But, as Visser explains, there are some things that are working well: ‘It’s now been decided that people with poor vision should take a slightly longer diversion during a closure in order to prevent difficulties during rush hour. That seems to me to be a reasonable solution – a safe route is better than the shortest one.’

Designer Robin Koelmans (Zuidasdok) is one of the people working on the issue of accessibility at the station: ‘Of course, there are laws and regulations on accessibility, but talking to people with hands-on experience is equally important.’ These people include Cliëntenbelang Amsterdam (Customer Advocacy Amsterdam) and the Oogvereniging (Eye Association) who gave advice on tactile paving: ‘Their experiences are invaluable to us – since you can’t really talk to rules and standards.’

According to Visser, it is these kinds of conversations that help boost awareness of the challenges faced by disabled passengers: ‘And I’m not just talking about the practicalities. It can really affect you as a person if you are literally and figuratively overlooked.’ He even recalled an occasion when things went wrong during a visit to the station with Annemieke Goudsmit, after whom the trophy has been named, to test the accessibility of a metro platform: ‘People had forgotten that the lift was out of order and so Annemieke had to take a detour via the next station in order to access the platform.’

Another example: the extension of tactile paving between the station and Zuidplein. Koelmans again: ‘Running across the entrance, there’s a drainage gutter that interrupted the tactile paving. We’ve now put two tiles between it, so that people no longer need to search. It may be a small change, but it can make a world of difference for people who wish to fully participate in our society.’

Koelmans is delighted to have received the prize, but understands that it is not the time to rest on one’s laurels: ‘The station is set to see lots more changes in the years ahead as the Brittenpassage opens and the Minervapassage undergoes renovation works. Passengers will have quite a lot to deal with and it will be especially important to continue to look for solutions to improve the accessibility of the station.’ And, according to Visser, this is in everyone’s interests: ‘Ultimately, we’re all getting older and eventually we’ll all be travelling with disabilities to some extent. That includes you and me.’