Avanti West Coast updates website to help disabled passengers

Avanti West Coast has modified its website to help disabled passengers.

The firm said it made changes to ensure all customers can “plan their journey confidently and independently every time they travel”.

Updates include altering the contrast between text and backgrounds to help visually impaired users, and amending coding so the content is accessible to customers unable to use a mouse.

Avanti West Coast made the adjustments to its website in partnership with Accessibility Services, part of Shaw Trust, a charity which helps disabled and disadvanted people.

They led to the rail operator becoming the first in Britain to be awarded the Shaw Trust web accreditation for accessibility.

Avanti West Coast accessibility and inclusion manager Brandon Peat said: “We want everyone to use the railway and recognise it’s important a consistent approach is adopted.”

He added that the operator wanted to “make journeys easy and convenient for all our customers”.

Joe Manock, account manager at Accessibility Services, said the firm has “left no stone unturned in making sure that one and all can access their services”.

Earlier this year Avanti West Coast launched a dedicated social media forum for disabled passengers to share travel experiences with each other and receive direct support from the company.

In April, the National Rail Enquiries online journey planner was changed to greyscale as a mark of respect after the Duke of Edinburgh died. Passengers, rail staff and disability charities complained that this made the information difficult to read.