Maritime Passenger Transport Accessibility

The Department has pursued a number of initiatives in an effort to support improvement in maritime passenger transport accessibility for persons with disabilities. These initiatives include disability access audits on a range of passenger vessels, the provision of disability awareness training for passenger vessels owners and operators, and the development, with the National Disability Authority, of Guidelines for Accessible Maritime Passenger Transport, which can be found below.

The policy in recent years has been to encourage voluntary efforts by vessel owners and operators to improve access to their passenger services.

Passenger ship and boat owners/operators are encouraged to carry out accessibility improvements to maritime passenger transport services with a focus on the following issues:

• Give as much information as possible on the accessibility of your service in your publications, on your website and other means of electronic communication such as apps and social media. Inform customers before they travel of how best they may access your service in a way that meets their needs.

• Use accessibility guidance to make all your information easy to read, easy to use, easy to understand and available to all. Provide announcements and instructions in both audio and visual form (and ideally in Braille and large print for the visually impaired). Display key information (safety messages, delays, boarding details) clearly at multiple points.

• Notices provided, in addition to the standard and legally required maritime signage should be accessibility proofed e.g. improve the lay-out, use clear text with contrasting colours and matt surfaces, with easy-to-read font and letter size.

• Use bright contrasting colours on handrails, grabrails and trip or bump hazards, e.g. staircases, ramps, in toilets, steps at doorways, trip hazards on decks, walkways and seating. Reserve accessible seating areas with priority signage (tactile if possible). Ensure wheelchair spaces are unobstructed and clearly marked. Install continuous handrails on stairways and walkways. Toilet facilities should be accessible with the use of grab rails.

• Consider textured walkways and non-slip surfaces as appropriate with tactile finish at both ends of the gangway in addition to marking of surfaces.

• Provide disability awareness training to employees to ensure that they are capable of supporting customers with reduced mobility. Such training should be provided upon induction and on an ongoing basis to ensure continued awareness.

A flyer is being distributed to encourage accessibility improvements on passenger ship and boat services based on six suggested low-cost improvement options.