The latest round of the Scottish Government’s Accessibility Fund sees £80,000 going to Serco Northlink and the National Autistic Society.

The match funding will be used to provide changing facilities on ferries and specialist equipment. Staff will also be trained in how to better support and help passengers with autism.

There will be an App which will inform passengers of the assistance available at the Northern Isles ferry terminals.

Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands in the Scottish Government , said:

“We want Scotland’s ferry services to be fully accessible, offering the best passenger experience possible to everyone. Operators already have strict standards to meet when it comes to accessibility but this fund can help them to go further.

“The improvements made through previous awards have been a great success, so it’s very encouraging that more organisations have seen the potential to make positive changes and brought forward some excellent proposals.

“We know that accessible travel can enable people to enjoy equal access to full citizenship so, as part of our Accessible Travel Framework, we want to identify and remove disabling barriers which prevent people travelling or make their journeys an unpleasant experience.”

The Ferries Accessibility Fund aims to improve the accessibility of ferries and ports and to enhance the ferry travelling experience of disabled people and others facing mobility or access challenges. This includes passengers that have hidden disabilities. The fund was open to any ferry or harbour operator providing an internal ferry service.