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Membership

Details of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) members.

What DPTAC membership involves

Members of the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) are mostly, but not exclusively, disabled people.

They are public appointees recruited to serve for about 3 years.

DPTAC members require a high level of understanding of the transport needs of disabled people.

They are required to work with others to constructively and pragmatically increase opportunities for disabled people to travel independently and safely. DPTAC members do this by working with the Department for Transport (DfT) ministers and officials.

How DPTAC members are recruited

DfT ministers appoint the DPTAC Chair and committee members.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates these appointments in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

DPTAC Interim Chair

DPTAC Deputy Chair

DPTAC members

DPTAC member biographies

Carly Jones MBE, Aviation and Maritime Working Group Chair

Carly Jones MBE is an autistic advocate who has been improving travel, employment, accessibility and safeguarding for autistic people since 2008.ÌýÌýÌý

Her previous roles with major transport organisations, including Heathrow Airport, East Midlands Rail and Great British Rail, focused on making travel more equitable for neurodivergent individuals.ÌýÌýÌý

As Global Neuro-inclusion Lead at Enna, she now works to improve employment opportunities for Neurodivergent people while maintaining her dedication to safeguarding through her role as lead of co-production at NHS England and the Ministry of Justice.

Damian Joseph Bridgeman

Damian has been a key figure in shaping transformative legislation, including the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, advocating for coproduction and person-centred care.ÌýÌýÌý

His leadership roles span various organisations, including the National Centre for Accessible Transport and the founding member of the Purple Pound Foundation, which highlights the economic power of disabled consumers. Damian is Deputy Chair of the Fellowship Council at the Royal Society of Arts and also works to provide accessible travel solutions through his company, Freedom 365. 

His passion and advocacy for a more equitable and accessible society are shaped by his personal experiences as a powered wheelchair user with cerebral palsy and dyslexia.

David Sindall

David spent his career working in the field of disability rights and disability equality. This has included work in the public, voluntary and private sectors and 12 years as head of disability and inclusion for the Association of Train Operating Companies.ÌýÌý

David has worked at a UK and international level on transport accessibility. 

He lives on the Wirral and is also a novelist and occasional playwright.

Edward Trewhella, Personal Mobility Working Group Chair

Edward began his disability-related career as Chief Executive at Cornwall Mobility, one of the largest Mobility Centres in the UK. Some years later appointed as CEO of Driving Mobility, the national network of Mobility Centres offering clinical driving assessments and other transportation-related services. 

In 2024, he retired to become part-time in the role, with responsibility for strategic development. Owing to this background, he has in-depth knowledge and experience of working with the NHS, DVLA, DVSA, Motability, National Highways, the Aviation industry, ShopMobility, in the Mobility Equipment field and in related commercial and regulatory affairs.

Erin Pritchard

Erin Pritchard is a senior lecturer in the School of Social Sciences at Liverpool Hope University and a core member of the Centre for Culture and Disability Studies.ÌýÌý

After receiving her PhD in Human Geography from Newcastle University, Dr Pritchard published her first monograph, Dwarfism, Spatiality and Disabling Experiences. Since then, she has published numerous academic books and peer-reviewed articles on the subject of dwarfism.ÌýÌý

Dr Pritchard has also appeared on numerous media platforms advocating for the rights of disabled people, with a particular focus on equality for people with dwarfism. Her research has resulted in successful campaigns, including getting companies to change the name of their midget gems to Mini Gems.ÌýÌý

She has been a disability consultant for numerous companies, including Disney, and is also a member of the Rail Accessibility and Inclusion Forum for the North.

John Dales

John is Director and Head of Transport Planning at Urban Movement, a consultancy specialising in transport planning, urban strategies and the design of complex streets and spaces. His work encompasses a wide range of transport, traffic and public realm projects in towns, cities and new developments across the UK. He has also undertaken numerous research studies, including several focusing on inclusive design.

John is Chair of Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking, and a trustee of Transport for All, the disabled-led charity working to break down barriers in the transport system. A past Chair of the Transport Planning Society, his track record includes membership of several design review panels and roles as design advisor to cities including London, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Southend.

Kate Denham, Deputy Chair

Kate is an experienced non-executive and government advisor. She is currently a Non-Executive Advisor for the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, focusing on patient experience, Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance committee for Transport Focus and a member of the Office of Rail and Road Consumer Expert Panel, representing the views of transport users to policy makers and operators.

She was previously a board member for a housing association supporting individuals with complex mental health needs, a nurse-led social enterprise delivering NHS services in East London and Healthwatch – championing patient experience at the local level.

Alongside her board roles, Kate works with the senior teams of central and local government, health and non-profit organisations on strategy and transformation projects.

Maral Nozratzadeh 

Maral is a postgraduate researcher at the University of Leeds School of Law, focusing her PhD on examining the effectiveness of advocacy in securing rights to independent living for disabled people in Iceland and England, exploring access to rights, practical difficulties and issues disabled people face in enforcing their entitlement. 

Maral joined the School of Law in 2019 after completing her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) and Master of Laws (LL.M) and was awarded a doctoral scholarship to start her PhD in 2023. Her previous studies and research experience shaped her interests in disability law, human rights, and advocacy.ÌýÌý

In addition to the PhD, Maral is a Teaching Assistant at the School, delivering seminars and serving in various representative and organisational roles.

Mark Cutter 

Mark Cutter is an expert by experience in many aspects of disability, including physical disability, mobility impairment, neurodiversity and mental ill health.ÌýÌýÌý

An advocate of the social model of disability, his interests include social security, additional support needs, special educational needs, hate crime and accessible travel.ÌýÌý

He is a member of various stakeholder panels and is Chair of Northern’s Accessibility User Group (NAUG) and the Rail Accessibility and Inclusion Forum for the North (RAIFN). A polymath, he says he will never stop learning.ÌýÌýÌý

Following his own experiences of mental illness, he retrained as a psychologist, psychotherapist and coach to help him better understand his own experience and the experience of others. He is also a lawyer, philosopher and social scientist.

Professor Mari Martiskainen

Mari Martiskainen is a Professor of Energy and Society at the Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School, University of Sussex.ÌýÌýÌý

She is also Director of the UKRI-funded Energy Demand Research Centre (EDRC).ÌýÌýÌý

Mari is a social scientist with a specific interest in how people use and are affected by different energy and transport systems. Her research has focused on topics such as the intersection of energy and transport inequities, the lived experience of transport poverty and what actions can ensure a more inclusive and just net zero transition.ÌýÌýÌý

Mari has published widely and works closely with a range of stakeholders. She is an avid user of public transport and has lived experience of disability as a neurodiverse person.

Dr Miro Griffiths MBE

Dr Miro Griffiths MBE is a Disability Studies scholar at the University of Leeds.ÌýÌýÌý

His research is primarily focused on disabled people’s imaginings of accessible and inclusive societies. He is the Co-Director of the Centre for Disability Studies, which is an interdisciplinary research network based at the University of Leeds and is focused on disabled people’s experiences across political, economic, social, cultural and technological arrangements.ÌýÌýÌý

Beyond academia, Dr Griffiths maintains several policy advisory positions across government departments, civil society organisations, think tanks, and research institutions across the UK and mainland Europe.ÌýÌýÌý

He is a former strategic and confidential adviser to the UK government and a former member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Disability Advisory Committee.

Mary Doyle, Local Transport Working Group Chair

Mary Doyle is dedicated to improving inclusion and understanding in society, especially in transport, so disabled people can participate in every area of life.

With a background in software engineering and a technical career spanning over 25 years supporting electronic payment systems, Mary has international management experience in billion-dollar companies and is a worldwide traveller.

Since retraining and now founder of Rocket Girl Coaching, Mary works with clients, including multinational corporations, to embed inclusive behaviours and accessibility into everyday practice. Mary is on advisory panels for aviation, rail, business and wheelchair standards.

Paul Finnegan

Paul Finnegan is the Chief Executive of Lighthouse, the suicide prevention charity in Belfast.ÌýÌý

He has over 25 years’ experience working in the voluntary sector, 12 as Chief Executive. He was Director of Development at Autism NI (2008 to 2012), where he established the family support service.ÌýÌý

He is currently Chair of the NI Independent Medical Examiner Sub-Group (2018 to present), led by the Department of Health. He was on the committee of the NI Deaf Youth Association for 3 years and was on the Board of Disability Action for 10 years (2010 to 2020), chairing 2 sub-groups and playing a key role in the establishment of Assistance Dogs NI.  Additionally, he was a Cruse Bereavement Volunteer for nine years (2013 to 2022).

Rachael Mole

Rachael is a consultant and advisor within accessibility and people management, looking at recruitment and retention. 

She has recently completed a Churchill Fellowship international research report on ‘how to build inclusive and accessible work cultures to drive innovation within organisations’. Disabled since the age of 12, and a frequent traveller, she focuses on the application of accessibility and barriers to employment as a means to work towards innovation.

Ruth Murran

Ruth Murran taught English and drama for 25 years and has lifelong experience of navigating the world as a disabled person. 

As a non-driver, she has always relied on public transport for her independent travel. 

She has worked with Scope and Brunel University on co-produced projects and has presented at the Cerebral Palsy Scotland conference. She joined DPTAC in 2024.

Sue Sharp, Deputy Chair

In October 2023, Sue Sharp retired as CEO of the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC), a national charity supporting vision-impaired children, young people and their families. Before joining the third sector in 2006, Sue spent almost 2 decades at DfT, where she worked in transport and accessibility policy at both national and international levels.

Sue has a particular interest in the accessibility of the built environment and has an MSc in Inclusive Environments from the University of Reading. In addition to her membership of DPTAC, Sue is also a member of the Independent Gatwick Advisory Panel (IGAP) and National Rail’s Built Environment Access Panel (BEAP).

Victoria Armstrong

As chief executive of the Community Transport Association (CTA), Victoria is passionate about leading a thriving community transport movement in the UK and believes that everyone should be able to access transport that meets their needs.ÌýÌý

Before her current role, Victoria was chief executive of Disability North, a regional user-led charity promoting inclusion, independence and choice for disabled people and their families by providing information, legal advice and support on any aspect of disability and health.ÌýÌý

Victoria has experience in innovation, research, project design and delivery as an independent consultant to a range of voluntary sector organisations and in 2016 was awarded a PhD in applied social sciences and mental health from Durham University. Following the completion of a qualifying law degree in 2004, Victoria also has valuable experience working in social welfare, community care and public law.

Zamila Skingsley 

Zamila is a former Cabinet Office Director with extensive experience in policy, strategy, transformation, and inclusion. 

She maintains multiple Non-Executive Directorships, including UNICEF-UK, TORUS Foundation and the Lord Jeremy Heywood Foundation.ÌýÌý

Zamila is Advisor to Julia Gillard’s Global Institute for Women Leaders at King’s College London and is a Visiting Senior Fellow at CASE, London School of Economics.ÌýÌý

Zamila was International Director at the Department for Education and Deputy Head of Unit for Strategy & Insights at the Race Disparity Unit, where she led on the award-winning Ethnicity Facts and Figures website.ÌýÌý

She previously worked for the United Nations, Open Society Foundation and Brookings Institute and has been on the board of the UK-US Fulbright Commission, UNESCO and Concern Worldwide.

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