Heathrow Express has partnered with wheelchair basketball team London Titans to launch an accessibility charter to highlight the airport’s access provisions and goals.
As part of its accessibility goals, this initiative will include maintaining Heathrow Express’s step-free rail-airport transfer service so that passengers with wheelchairs and mobility aids can travel from train to plane and back again with ease.
The charter was created by Heathrow Express to support the team’s travel to the 2023 EuroCup tournament, with the Titans traveling to the Finals in Turkey in May, and ensure a suitable experience on its trains for everyone by making accessibility a priority. Heathrow Express has also partnered with mobility charities and organizations to understand the needs of every passenger and to ensure its staff receives regular training that enables them to deliver a service that is accessible to all.
London Titans’ coach Matt Sealy has praised the difference Heathrow Express’s support has made to himself and his players, which include Paralympian and BBC personality Ade Adepitan. Speaking from the Eurocup tournament in Bosnia, he said, “The most important need for myself has been the understanding of organizations, such as Heathrow Airport and Heathrow Express, to see my wheelchair as a part of me, and not a piece of luggage. It is the only time my wheelchair leaves my body, so I have to have complete confidence that it is being handled and looked after with utmost care and attention. Thankfully I get this reassurance from the moment of booking my travel, through to greeting staff at airport check-in desks or train terminal platforms. When staff talk to me with confident action plans of every process through the airport where my chair goes once I board a plane and where it will be going and waiting for me at my destination, this vastly improves my confidence to travel independently.”
Daniel Edwards, business lead at Heathrow Express, added, “We are delighted to be partnering with the London Titans in our 25th anniversary year and launching our new Heathrow Express charter. We already carry around 25,000 travelers a day between Paddington Station and Heathrow Airport and want to set and maintain new standards to encourage more travelers to this service.
“This means making sure everyone can look forward to a great experience, with peace of mind knowing that the facilities are globally recognized as compliant for all and that they will receive a warm human welcome at every stage. There are highly trained colleagues on board up and down the route to be on hand for any requests and we also pride ourselves in offering customers the spaces and features they need, like lots of luggage space, dedicated wheelchair areas, accessible toilets and passenger information on board.”
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