Democratizing Travel with Accessible Technology

Accessibility matters more than ever in our digital world. Global Accessibility Awareness Day puts a spotlight on it each year, and the European Accessibility Act is now in effect across the EU. Together, they show how central accessibility has become.

The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3 billion people, about 16% of the world, live with a significant disability. This spans colour blindness, dyslexia, short-term or long-term mobility limits, and age-related needs.

We now rely on devices, software, and apps for work, study, and daily life. So access is not just a moral or legal issue. It is a key step to reach a wide, diverse audience and build true inclusion.

A few brands are leading the charge. One of them is Transreport, our long-term partner and the UK's fastest-growing accessible travel technology company.

We are proud to have shaped the design and build of Transreport's Passenger Assistance app. It was named a finalist in the Inclusivity category at the 2023 Apple Design Awards.

This article tells the story behind the app. It shows how the tech gives disabled people another way to request help in advance, for a safe and easy trip.

About Transreport

Transreport is the UK's fastest-growing accessible travel technology company. It improves customer experience with tools like the Internet of Things. Its suite has a user app, a staff app, and a B2B operator platform. Together they make it simple to request travel help, and make travel inclusive for all.

The company's flagship product, Passenger Assistance, launched in 2021. It is the world's first end-to-end transport platform for disabled and older people. It lets them book and manage help when they travel.

The app has passed 100,000 downloads. Its users include well-known athletes and politicians. It has been featured on the Apple App Store homepage and in outlets like Forbes, Grazia, Tech.eu, and Business Traveller. Its ratings are strong too, around 4.5 stars on Google Play and 4.7 stars on the App Store. In June 2023, it was a finalist in the Inclusivity category at the Apple Design Awards. It is now one of the best-known tools for booking travel help, with millions of journeys served.

In late 2023, Transreport signed its first international deal with Hankyu. This brought Passenger Assistance to a regional rail network in central Japan. In January 2024, the company raised 10 million pounds in Series A funding. The goal was to roll out its tech across more transport modes and new regions.

Back to the beginning: the inception of Transreport

The idea for Transreport began in 2017. Jay Shen had an eye-opening chat with a wheelchair user about how hard rail travel can be for disabled people.

By the time the chat ended, Jay knew he had a mission. He wanted to put disabled and older passengers in charge of their journey in a way they had not been before.

Jay Shen — Founder and CEO, Transreport

That weekend, in his Coventry garage, Jay, then a student at Warwick University, coded the first Passenger Assistance prototype. It would make it easier to book travel help and open up hard journeys across Britain's railways.

Over the next few weeks, Jay showed the idea to an access panel of disabled users. Within a month, he showed the tech to leaders in the UK's transport industry.

After the first proof of concept, we were proud to join Transreport's mission to open up travel for disabled people.

Transreport's accessibility solution

Transreport's tech suite was co-designed with staff from some of Britain's major rail firms. It also drew on an accessibility panel of people with a wide range of access needs. So it serves both businesses and passengers.

For businesses, the solution has a strong web platform and a simple staff app on iOS and Android. It helps them speed up work, improve data, and raise customer satisfaction.

For passengers, the team built the Passenger Assistance iOS and Android apps and a website. They follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and were shaped with disabled people. The goal is to make it simple to request help.

The apps launched in 2021 and have had many updates since. Each one aims to make the experience more personal, safe, and dignified for disabled and older people.

Below, we look at Passenger Assistance, its features, and how it supports disabled passengers.

The passenger app: Passenger Assistance on iOS, Android, and web

The Passenger Assistance apps are an easy way to request travel support across the UK. They work through a simple website and a handy mobile app. The product suits screen readers and can be run with voiceover. Its contrast, ratio, and font size meet high access standards.

Colour theme

From their first tap, users meet an accessibility feature. They can pick one of four colour themes, each designed to suit different access needs.

Profile setup and management

To start, users fill in their profile, share as much as they like, and pick their access needs. The profile fits all their needs, whatever the type, and lets them add more detail.

Make a booking request

This is one of the app's core features, where users enter their trip details. In the past, booking help was hard and slow. Disabled people had to call the train company in advance. On average, they spent up to 40 minutes setting up support. The Assistance Booking feature was built to change that and make the process clear and calm.

Cancel or change a booking request

Users have full control over their requests and can change them in the My Journeys tab. Once they make a change, they get a confirmation email. The train company then reviews it. On approval, users get another email that confirms the new journey, with its status set to confirmed.

Favourite journey

Passengers can save regular trips as a Favourite Journey and request assistance in just a few taps.

Real-time updates

Throughout the trip, real-time updates on booked help keep users informed about station access and more. This gives passengers the freedom and facts to plan with confidence.

View travel history

The details of past journeys and assistance requests appear under the My Journeys tab.

Feedback

After each assisted trip, users can rate their experience and flag any problems they met.

Phones can pose access barriers, both physical and financial. So the team built the Passenger Assistance web app for people who do not own or cannot use a smartphone.

The web app lets users create profiles, enter access needs, book help, and view current and past journeys. It uses the same login as the mobile app, for a smooth switch between the two.

Why users love Passenger Assistance

The Passenger Assistance app has been downloaded over 100,000 times. It has earned around 4.5 stars on Google Play and 4.7 stars on the App Store. Here is what users say about their experience.

Why we love Transreport

Since 2017, we have shared a great journey with Transreport, who built the world's first end-to-end travel platform for disabled and older people. With millions of journeys served, strong ratings, and finalist status at the 2023 Apple Design Awards, it has been deeply rewarding.

Now, with 10 million pounds in Series A funding secured, Transreport is ready to take accessible travel global. The aim is to make train journeys safe, easy, and dignified for all.

Beyond our collaboration and achievements, here is why we love Transreport.

• Shared values and vision. Both Wolfpack Digital and Transreport use technology as a force for good, to drive social progress and make daily life easier for everyone.
• Innovation with purpose. Transreport makes a real difference. It builds a more inclusive world, boosts user independence, and improves quality of life.
• User-first design. Transreport includes disabled people in its design process, so its solutions meet real needs.
• Proven product and scale. Transreport's platform has already changed the UK rail industry. Its plans to expand into aviation show its ambition and its reach across sectors.

Conclusion

As we look back on our journey with Transreport, we invite you to join us in championing access and inclusion.

Whether you are a founder who wants to add access features to your product, or a business that wants to promote inclusion, we are here to help. Reach out to us, and let us build a more accessible, inclusive world together.