Design and Delivery of a Customised ‘Train the Trainer’ Course for Bus Eireann (Irish Bus and Coach Transport Provider)
Bus Éireann is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and recognises that access to public transport is fundamental to independent living. Bus Éireann as a public transport provider is also bound to meet European and national legislation concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport (e.g. REGULATION (EU) No 181/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 February 2011 concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004).
O’Herlihy Access Consultancy (OHAC) designed and delivered several customised ‘Train the Trainer’ courses in Disability Awareness and passenger management for staff of Bus Éireann to support their commitment to accessibility.
OHAC partnered with Bus Éireann in the creation of the training programme and consulted with key stakeholders in the design process. The course incorporated best practice principles in making a public transport bus service accessible to all and in particular supporting vulnerable passengers and those with visible and hidden disabilities. It also addressed legal obligations and legislation relevant to the transportation of those passengers with additional needs on buses and coaches. Two training programmes were run for trainers in Bus Éireann.
As part of the brief, all course material and a Trainer Pack for all trainers including presentations was required for the trainers to take away to allow them to be able to deliver the course to all our staff. This course was subsequently rolled out across the organisation on several occasions.