“A little space and time please” 

Lindsay’s Story

Hi, I’m Lindsay and I live in Durham with my husband and 5-year-old daughter.  I am partially sighted due to congenital cataracts, but I also have glaucoma and nystagmus.  This means I can’t see things at a distance, and I have a reduced visual field.  Before COVID-19, I used public transport every day, taking my daughter to nursery and travelling extensively for work.  I was confident and travelling was something I never worried about.   

Now things are very different.  As I have not used public transport regularly for such a long time, it feels a bit like having to relearn everything all over again such as accessing timetables, buying tickets etc.  I feel my confidence has definitely dropped as travelling is more of an unknown quantity now.  Things like being able to find a seat with reduced capacity, reading signage in bus and railway stations, and just getting a feel for it again are things I am worried about.  

It would help for the public to be aware that just getting out and about again may be quite challenging for some people, and to be supportive – give people time, space and assistance if needed.  It is also important to remember that not all disabilities are visible, so we need to be kinder to one another.  

Visit ‘it’s everyone’s journey’ to find out more about the campaign and the support services available.