The other day, we heard from Hayley Collier, who faced an unnecessary barrier while simply trying to get to work.
Hayley arrived at her station earlier than usual. There are no barriers there and the staff know her well, so she didn’t need to tap in. She took an earlier train to Waterloo to make it on time for a meeting near London Bridge.
When she went to tap out, her Freedom Pass was rejected because of the morning time restriction. Hayley showed her pass to a staff member, expecting he’d just let her through — after all, it would be valid in just a few minutes. Instead, he told her it wasn’t valid yet and if she wanted to leave, she’d have to pay.
Hayley tried to explain how unreasonable that was, but the staff member didn’t really listen. He carried on helping other passengers while she sat in her wheelchair, forced to wait until 9:30. Except the pass didn’t even activate until 9:35. That extra five minutes left her feeling ignored, excluded, and singled out — all for something that could have been solved with a little understanding and flexibility.
This is exactly why Speak To Me exists. Rules are important, but so is humanity. A moment of empathy can make the difference between someone feeling respected — or being left waiting at a barrier, invisible.
Our founder, Harry Georgiou, put it best when he heard Hayley’s story:
“Our disability doesn’t turn on at a particular time of the day. If we want to go out, we should be able to go out when we want. Especially when trying to get to work.”
Stories like Hayley’s show why change is urgently needed. Disabled people deserve equal access to transport without restrictions that cut us off from everyday life.
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