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Accessibility and Equity

Be designed to be inclusive, accessible spaces that break down barriers, ensuring everyone can enjoy them.

Motorway Service Areas should be accessible and accommodating to people of all abilities and backgrounds. Inclusive design practices are at the core, advocating for processes that consider all perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise, ensuring everyone has a voice in shaping the access and use of MSAs. This recognises the need for spaces catering to a broad range of abilities and needs, ensuring that they are functional, comfortable, and easy to use, ultimately fostering a sense of inclusivity and accessibility for everyone.

Other considerations:

“Service areas provide disabled parking for cars but not for everyone else, highlighting accessibility issues.” Accessibility should go beyond compliance and be embedded across all aspects of an MSA.

Examples (how to achieve this):

• Implementing inclusive and visually accessible signage ensures all visitors, regardless of abilities, can navigate MSAs. This can be through clear on-site signage in standardised formats or using a common language for information and wayfinding.

• Cater to diverse needs by providing personal support and assistance in welcoming spaces and charging areas, giving users a choice in the amount of human interaction that suits their preferences and needs. Consider that users may need more personal help and support, especially when dealing with new technologies or unfamiliar spaces.

• Increase safety in MSA through various passive strategies, like improved lighting throughout, designing open and visible layouts and training staff to provide helpful and supportive assistance.

Outcomes:

• Universal spaces: MSAs embrace an ethos of barrier-free access, removing physical obstacles and deliberately planning for it. They break down barriers of access for all travellers, becoming welcoming, empowering spaces for everyone where no traveller is left behind.

• Inclusive Design: Inclusive design is a cor nerstone of MSA development, where people from all backgrounds contribute to continuously enhancing the MSA experience to make it a hub for innovation and diversity.

• Inclusive Safety: Safety continues to be an integral aspect of the MSA experience with a particular focus on supporting vulnerable individuals. This helps foster an atmosphere of trust and reassurance that extends to all travellers, Travellers can confidently access and enjoy MSA facilities while prioritising their safety and well-being.