The above
A lot has changed since the 1970s. For a start offering assistance to those who need it is now a legal requirement, as is making reasonable adjustments. The Subway already has all other other required adjustments for blind passengers such as tactile platform edges and announcements are a legal requirement, there’s no excuse for them to be missing.
Don't disagree of course - but given the current reliability, with multiple service suspensions and evacuations each week, as highlighted in the tweet above, from last night - it is I think reasonable for SPT to have some reticence, in the best interests of those passengers, about advertising the service as more accessible, when the platforms are too narrow, there are virtually no lifts, frequent escalator breakdowns, no auto announcements and an environment so noisy it is hard to hear any that are made, and screens which are either static and useless, on train, or now even the "Next Arrival" screens have been replaced by "6 MINUTE SERVICE", (also wrong) or more and more frequently, off.
The new trains are a step forward (fold down seats, illuminated door flashers) but they are far from a magic bullet in terms of accessibility.
No excuse for not pursuing every avenue they possibly can (announcements etc) but I can at least follow the logic as to not wanting to put passengers in a position where there is more than a marginal possibility (currently) of a breakdown and a undignified evacuation.
The real solution was a full rebuild, and the often mooted extensions .... but as often explored, that was not deemed viable. The current and future system has definite, permanent blocks to full accessibility, which personally as a passenger makes me more than a little uncomfortable.
