Nottingham Trams: The thoughtful way NET is making travel easier for passengers with special needs

Nottingham’s famous fleet of trams has been kitted out with a range of visual aids to make travelling across the city during the festive season less stressful for passengers with speech, language, and communication difficulties.

Using public transport can be a challenge for people with additional needs who may find it harder to buy tickets, get the latest travel information or locate help points if signage and instructions are in written form only.

Read more: Nottingham news

Designed by visual communication experts Widgit specifically for Nottingham Express Transit (NET), the company that runs Nottingham’s tramway, the new symbols and imagery explain key routines in a visual way, such as how to scan travel cards, open the tram doors and request additional time to get on and off trams in advance to help people with additional needs navigate the network more easily.

Increase confidence, independence and resilience

Tamara Riddell, deputy headteacher at Rosehill School, a special school for four to 19-year-olds just outside Nottingham city centre, said: “We encourage our older autistic students to travel by tram as part of a curriculum specifically designed to increase their confidence, independence, and resilience. The symbols support this and add to the students’ enjoyment of the whole experience.” 

Passengers can scan a QR code on ticket machine screens and new window stickers installed in NET’s 37 trams to access all the symbols and imagery via an app. Leaflets are available in the King Street travel centre which includes a symbolised guide to travelling on Nottingham’s trams to help people with additional needs complete their journeys easily and safely.

Just in time for Christmas

The visual aids have been rolled out in time for Christmas, but they will remain in place throughout the year. NET’s team of customer experience agents will also receive advanced training in additional needs so they can better support passengers across the network. 

Rebecca Horne, business engagement manager at Nottingham Trams, said: “We operate a 32 km long network with 51 tram stops and as the first fully accessible tramway in the country, we want to continue to make the experience of travelling by tram more inclusive.

“The symbols and visual prompts installed in our trams and in our travel centre are designed to support people in the community who may not find written signage and travel information helpful and encourage more passengers to travel around our beautiful city by tram to enjoy the Christmas festivities.”

A positive impact of improved accessibility

Rebecca Lynch, education specialist at Widgit, said: “The positive impact of improved accessibility on public transport and in schools, healthcare, and retail settings across the country cannot be underestimated. Having taught in a Nottingham school for over 14 years, the city holds a special place in my heart. We’re proud to have played our part in supporting the drive to ensure more passengers get to experience the joy and excitement of travelling on Nottingham’s iconic trams.”

For more information on the symbols and resources Widgit has developed for parents and to sign up for a free trial of its software for creating symbols, visit www.widgit.com.