OPINION - Tanni Grey-Thompson: It is shocking that a Tube station like South Kensington is still not step-free

This summer, the V&A Museum opens its doors to a new exhibition Design and Disability, which aims to celebrate the creative force of Disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent people across design, art and culture. Described as “both a celebration and a call to action”, the exhibition will highlight the many ways in which the world is designed without regard for the needs of disabled members of our society.

But here’s the irony. If you’re a disabled person planning your visit, the V&A’s own website still advises you that the nearest step-free Tube station is 1.3 miles away.

Shockingly, South Kensington Tube, the closest to the V&A and one of London’s busiest stations, is still inaccessible to millions of disabled people, older Londoners, and parents with young children. This isn’t just any station: it’s the gateway to one of the UK’s most iconic cultural quarters, home to the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College London, and major hospitals like the Royal Marsden. It’s where children are inspired, research is advanced, and world-class art and music are performed.

South Kensington’s world-famous museums are not just tourist destinations — they are powerful instruments of Britain’s soft power

But lack of step-free access means this part of the Capital is still out of reach for far too many people.

That’s why I’m backing local MP Joe Powell’s campaign to make South Kensington step-free and why it’s vital for the government to ensure Transport for London (TfL) has the money to do so in the upcoming spending review this Summer.

As someone who has spent much of my life campaigning for transport equality, I know just how much this vital upgrade to South Kensington matters to disabled Londoners and visitors.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson (PA Archive)

I have had to consider turning down invitations to the Royal Albert Hall; not because I didn’t want to go, but because getting there safely and with dignity simply wasn’t possible.

And the effort it takes to travel, even when it is possible, can be exhausting. On top of all the journeys I already make, I often spend hours more each week planning and booking my trips — far more than a non-disabled person would need to.

Financial services, supermarkets, and high street shops are among the worst offenders

Luckily, things are beginning to shift. More people are talking about access, and that’s no bad thing. Almost every time I get on a train now, someone, a fellow passenger, will check I’m okay. When I’m trying to get off, they’ll often catch the eye of a staff member on the platform. That might sound like a small thing, but to me, it shows people are more becoming more aware of the challenges disabled people face.

And there are also glimmers of hope within the system itself. In recent years, many UK rail stations have become step-free—thanks to leadership, investment, and tireless advocacy. Social media has helped, too, giving disabled people a way to highlight challenges in real-time and call out poor access where they see it.

Inaccessibility isn’t just inconvenient, it is a barrier to curiosity and connection

But we’re still a long way from where we need to be. According to a report by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC), at current annual rates of investment spend on station accessibility, it will take around 100 years to make the entirety of the station estate step-free to new-build standards. Slow progress has the most profound impact on our young people. Disabled children visiting places like the Science Museum often face long and inaccessible journeys turning what should be an inspiring experience into a stressful one. Inaccessibility isn’t just inconvenient, it is a barrier to curiosity and connection.

The government is right to say it is prioritising the breaking down of barriers to opportunity as one of its missions. But the South Kensington upgrade project is a perfect test of that promise. Because accessibility can’t just be an afterthought. It’s a must-have tool for growth.

We can’t ignore the wider economic picture. Our national museums are facing a funding crisis, with three in five small museums fearing they may be forced to close as visitor numbers fall. If we want to keep them open and thriving, we need to make sure everyone can get through their doors.

Transport, when inaccessible, prevents disabled people from working, spending, and contributing to the economy

Research has found that most sectors of the economy are losing billions each month because of being inaccessible to disabled people. Financial services, supermarkets, and high street shops are among the worst offenders. And transport, when inaccessible, prevents disabled people from working, spending, and contributing to the economy. When we exclude people physically, we exclude their potential.

But we also lose something bigger. South Kensington’s world-famous museums are not just tourist destinations — they are powerful instruments of Britain’s soft power. At a time when more and more public money is being directed toward defence and hard power, we must not forget the global influence that comes from culture, science, education and the arts. These institutions reflect the very best of who we are and what we offer the world. If we want to present an inclusive, progressive, outward-looking Britain on the global stage, then we must ensure that everyone can access them.

That’s why I’m supporting Joe Powell’s campaign to make South Kensington Tube station step-free, alongside the Exhibition Road Cultural Group (which includes the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and the V&A), Royal Brompton Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Royal Albert Hall, and Imperial College.

Planning permission is already secured. The local community is behind it. This project is ready to go, but it needs the funding.

So I’m calling on the government to include this long-overdue upgrade in the upcoming Transport for London budget in the upcoming Spending Review.

Because this is about more than making one station step-free. It’s about whether we believe in a London that is open to all. Whether we believe access to culture, science and learning is a right, not a privilege.

A step-free South Kensington would be a signal of a country that’s finally putting accessibility at the heart of its mission for growth.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is a television presenter and former Paralympian