Belgian rail infrastructure manager Infrabel launched a new railway safety programme for blind and visually impaired young people aged 12 to 18 on Monday.
The free programme, available in French and Dutch, was developed with both organisations Eqla and Les Amis des Aveugles and is intended for teachers, support workers, and organisations. Aimed at making young people familiar with railways and their safety rules, it can be downloaded from Infrabel's website.
The programme includes a 30-second immersive audio experience, a board game called “Rail Maniac” combining questions and challenges, and an alphabet-based activity designed to test what participants have learned.
Infrabel said that there were 29 accidents at level crossings which killed five people in Belgium in 2025, with a further 583 reported cases of trespassing on railway tracks that lead to the deaths of nine people. The infrastructure manager said its goal is to work towards zero deaths on Belgium's railways.
"It is essential that everyone in our society can be made aware of railway safety rules and have the appropriate tools to understand them," said Infrabel CEO Benoît Gilson.
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The initiative follows a similar programme launched two years ago for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Eqla and Les Amis des Aveugles said railway safety is also an issue of independence for people with visual impairments.
Louise Sabbe, a trainer at Eqla, highlighted the importance of rail travel for the people the organisation supports.
Jean-Michel Bertinchamps, a project manager at Les Amis des Aveugles, called for accessibility to be considered from the outset when designing infrastructure. "Using public transport is essential to having a social life," he said.
Around 30 pupils at the Royal Institute for the Deaf and Blind (IRSA) will take part in the programme, according to its director-general, Florence Lobert.
She welcomed an approach that treats young people as experts on their own experiences.
