On the buses

Young Healthwatch Central Bedfordshire (YHW) undertook a project to determine how aware people are of hidden disabilities, by observing passengers using public transport, to notice whether they showed signs of discrimination against people who had a disability. During each bus journey, they asked passengers and bus drivers to take part in a short survey, relating to treatment of people with hidden disabilities on public transport. To support their project, the young volunteers also created a survey which was sent to various members of the local community, and, members of organisations who focused on supporting hidden disabilities.

• Based on the findings of the survey and observations made on bus journeys across Central Bedfordshire, Healthwatch concluded that there is a lack of knowledge and awareness of hidden disabilities in the general community.
• The results from the bus journeys taken strongly indicated that discrimination exists against young people with a hidden disability, sitting in a disabled seat, which makes them feel uncomfortable and anxious about using public transport.
• The interviews with passengers on the bus journeys showed that 78% of people believed they had never seen someone with a hidden disability be discriminated against, however 33% failed to recognise what a hidden disability was.
• Many people did not recognise what a sunflower lanyard is for or respected the meaning behind it. Furthermore, as a result of more people wearing the sunflower lanyard during the pandemic, to indicate they were exempt from wearing a face mask, many people now simply assume that is what the lanyard represents and not what it was originally meant for; to raise awareness of a hidden disability.