Our Users

My diabetes is increasingly affecting my vision, but I aim to stay as active and independent as I can for as long as possible.

My daughters live down south and I want to continue to visit them regularly. I encounter lots of challenges as I travel about. Gaps between trains and platforms are dangerously wide or steep. Departure screens at bus and train stations are either hard or impossible for me to read.

I’m a reluctant device user at the best of times, but it helps me get about. However, I often feel frustrated when audio descriptions rely on me being able to see landmarks around me. Drops in Wi-Fi signal, traffic congestion or train diversions don’t help either!

I find the Thistle Assistance card is an easy way to ask for help whenever I need it without making a song and dance about it. It just discreetly informs a member of transport staff what I need, whether that’s assistance getting off the train or letting me know when it’s my stop. The card’s always in my wallet now so it gives me peace of mind when I travel.

I lost my sight when I was a kid, but am now in my twenties so I like to be as independent as possible, like travelling at weekends to meet my friends at a club.

I plan my bus and train journeys with a voice-enabled phone and my computer.  I’ve grown up using tech so I’m pretty good with tracker and phone apps. However, they don’t always work as well as I’d like. They usually just give me street names rather than when it’s my stop. Voice instructions like ‘follow the signs’ are only helpful if you can see them. It’s also a bit embarrassing when the tracker loudly announces directions to the other passengers!

The Thistle Assistance app is a great way to tell bus drivers and other staff what kind of help I need without sharing it with the entire bus!

My mobility has deteriorated since I was diagnosed several years ago with Lewy body dementia. I now use a wheelchair to get about, helped by my husband, who looks after me.

I still like travelling though! Cruise holidays are my favourite when I can manage. I’ve always kept myself up-to-date with new gadgets so I’m quite happy using a smartphone or computer.  I’m less able to use them myself these days but my husband helps, so we maintain a shared independence.

I have a lightweight wheelchair which makes it easier for my husband to push, though the suspension could be better! I feel a bit of a burden on buses, trains and planes when other passengers have to wait for me getting on board. I don’t like to make a fuss so the Thistle Assistance app allows me or my husband to request help from staff without embarrassment.

When I was expecting my son, I became really nervous using public transport. As my bump grew, I needed more time to find a seat and was terrified of falling over. There are only a few priority seats on buses and I don’t feel right using them. Rush hour just adds to the problem so I have to either leave work early or wait till later.

Bridging the gap on to a train is even more daunting and the Subway seems to jostle a lot more when you’re pregnant.

Another expectant mum in my pre-natal group told me about Thistle Assistance. I didn’t know it was something we could use. I downloaded the app to my phone so now it’s there if I need it.

I’m living with early onset dementia. It’s still at a manageable level, though I sometimes find certain environments can be confusing. I’m reasonably tech savvy so I can use basic apps on my smartphone.

I’d rather not be identified or defined by my condition – it’s a bit demeaning, not to mention dehumanising. It’s still early days for me and dementia, so I want to remain independent for as long as I can. Hopefully technology will play a role in that.

I like to plan a journey in advance, allowing lots of time so there’s no pressure. Route planning apps can be a bit hit-and-miss. They are often too complex or give road numbers rather than landmarks when navigating. If I am travelling to somewhere new, I don’t know when to get ready to get off the bus or train.

The Thistle Assistance app means I can show bus drivers or transport staff when I need assistance and what type of help I require without any fuss. It’s a handy app with a human back-up!

I look after a number of older people in and around St Andrews. They all tell me stories of feeling frustrated or worried about using the bus to get to the shops or to meet friends for coffee.

The bus driver maybe doesn’t give them enough time to sit down. Or they find it harder to see where they are for their stop on darker days. It’s a shame because it’s one of the ways they keep what independence they have.

I’d seen something about Thistle Assistance at my local library so I’m now telling all the people I look after about it. It’s a no-fuss way to ask for a little extra help. What’s not to like?

When I lost my sight, I also lost a lot of my confidence. I’m adapting to getting around now but still struggle with public transport. Gaps between trains and platforms are the scariest. You know it’s there but you can’t see it.

I don’t like bothering others when they’re rushing to be somewhere else, though people have been so helpful in the past. I can’t rely on that always being the case so Thistle Assistance is now on my phone for whenever I need it. I just show it to the ticket collector or other staff member and they help me on my way.

I’m living with a condition that reduces my movement and coordination. A wheelchair allows me to get out and about with the help of my wife or my full-time carer.

Travelling by bus can be problematic for me. We often travel past our stop as it’s easier to go downhill with the wheelchair. Increasingly, bus drivers require passengers to put their pass on the wireless reader but that’s hard for me. Drivers can become impatient and I become anxious.

The Thistle Assistance card is a great way to say what extra help or time I need.  It certainly lessens the stress of my bus journeys.