I would like to make a Freedom of Information request to be provided with the consultation process, the feedback to the consultation and also the Equality Impact Assessment around TfL's decision to close down the TfL Access twitter account and force disabled passengers to rely on the main TfL twitter account to receive information about lift outages, changes to station interchanges etc. This is a badly thought through idea and I would like to see the evidence which has led to this decision being taken.

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Our Ref: FOI-1041-2021

Thank you for your request received on 9 September 2020 asking for information about the TfL Access Twitter account.

Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.

In December 2018, we asked the 36,500 followers of the @tflaccess feed to take part in a survey about how they use the feed. Despite tweeting about the survey three times throughout December, we received feedback from one customer. Therefore there was not enough data for us to prepare a report.

We then consulted with key internal and external stakeholders on changes to our social media profiles including issuing a survey to a number of accessibility groups including RNIB, Transport for All and Scope. This survey concluded in December 2019 and we received 12 responses.

The survey asked a range of questions, for example:

• When you are about to start a journey on a TfL service, do you check the service status before you travel?
• How do you replan a journey?
• Do you use Twitter to check service status?

Given the low number of respondents, we did not produce a summary but did take into account the feedback when reviewing our use of Twitter.

TfL's digital team also presented the decision at TfL's Accessibility Stakeholder Forum in January 2020 and incorporated their feedback as well.

Following the public announcement that we were looking to close the account, we have temporarily paused the decision to close this account while further engagement takes place with TfL's Independent Disability Advice Group (IDAG) and Transport for All.

Please find attached a copy of the Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) that was prepared.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please feel free to contact me.

If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob

Senior FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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