East Midlands Railway (EMR), working with a national disability partnership, has launched a set of cards which enable passengers to communicate their needs while travelling.

In producing its TALK cards, EMR followed guidelines provided by Communication Access UK, an initiative by charities and organisations aiming to improve the lives of people with communication difficulties.

The cards contain information about extra support or consideration that people might need on their journey, and enable staff to provide the service they need.

Wording on the cards includes:

• Where are the toilets?
• Please face me and speak clearly
• I have a disability, please be patient.

Passengers may also add their name and an emergency contact number on the reverse of the cards.

The cards are free of charge, and passengers can order them on EMR’s website or by contacting its Customer Service Centre.

Dave Meredith, EMR’s Customer Service Director, said that he hoped the cards go a small way to help provide passengers with reassuranc when they travel.

He said: “Good communication means not just talking but also listening and understanding what others say to us.

“Our customers might have a tough time asking questions, naming things, or seeking help, and others may have trouble speaking clearly, making it hard for others to understand them.

“We train our staff to make sure they understand these issues and these cards are another helpful way we can make sure our customers get the support they require.

“They allow travellers the option to use a quick visual prompt for help and we look forward to hearing from the people using them to see how they get on.”

Steve Jamieson, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, said: “Communication difficulties are often invisible, making encounters with train staff more challenging. These simple cards, and the Communication Access UK training, should help to ensure that EMR staff know to give some customers that extra bit of time and space to communicate in their own way. This is a small change for staff which could make a big difference to the millions of people in the UK who have difficulty communicating.”