Young people with additional needs are having their say on how transport in Greater Manchester can be more accessible.
A group of almost 50, 13 to 21-year-olds are being supported by local charity
Greater Manchester Youth Network (GMYN) and funded through the Co-op Foundation’s #iwill Fund.
They meet regularly to use the local bus and tram networks, building their confidence and thinking up improvements that would help their peers get around the city more easily.
They’ve since presented their ideas to representatives at Transport for Greater Manchester.
These have included more audio and visual announcements on bus services,Improved methods of reporting anti-social behaviour and helping transport staff better understand how to support young people with additional needs
Feedback is helping to inform the further development of the Bee Network Greater Manchester’s vision for an inclusive, integrated transport network, designed by Greater Manchester for Greater Manchester.
Sammy Cosgrave, aged 21, is a youth advocate at GMYN. Speaking today,on the Power of Youth Day, they said:
“We all bring different skills and different ideas to the table. It doesn’t matter if you have any sort of disability or different ability, it doesn’t matter where you came from, your background or anything. We all have our own things to join with, different perspectives on life, and it really widens the world when everyone has their own thing to contribute.”
Fellow youth advocate, Joseph Mendy, aged 20, added:
“GMYN helped me by letting us discuss different issues and having opinions about what to do and how to advocate for those issues. I think my confidence has improved
in talking about these issues by talking about them in this safe space.”
Emma Flinn, Head of Partnerships, Engagement and Inclusion, from Transport for Greater Manchester said:
“GMYN have been a valued partner in helping us understand the barriers young people, including those with additional needs, face when travelling across our city-region
and how this can be made easier in the future through the design and delivery of an inclusive, integrated transport system: Greater Manchester’s Bee Network.”
“We are looking forward to building on this as we move forward, ensuring that the needs of young people are reflected in decision making.”
