The lack of accessible transport builds a wall. It makes the daily lives of people with limited mobility impossible, hindering work, study, relaxation, and social relationships. If someone cannot enter their workplace, attend cultural programs, or train in sports facilities, they are excluded from everyday life—and as a person with a physical disability, this exclusion can easily become permanent. Their problems are often invisible to both decision-makers and society, so it is no wonder the affected feel like second-class citizens.
There is a plan
The goal of the "Egymásért - Közösen" Association of People with Physical Disabilities is to create opportunities for people with disabilities. During their work, they quickly realized that strengthening the community of those affected is not enough; an environment providing equal opportunities for everyone is necessary.
They launched a campaign for accessible rail transport, for which they developed a detailed "script," an annual plan for organizational work, planned actions, training sessions, and community programs. Their first major event in December 2023 was a public consultation with top MÁV (Hungarian State Railways) executives and affected passengers. There, they received promises to make complaint reporting easier—which also helps MÁV in accessibility development—and to make accessible routes plannable within the app.
By the autumn of 2024, they mobilized at 12 locations, worked with photo and street art artists, and organized signature collections and further discussions to assess problems and passenger needs. The resulting list of grievances was handed over to the MÁV spokesperson at Nyugati Railway Station, along with a package of proposals.
White Balloons
During one of their actions, healthy people were placed in wheelchairs at Nyugati station, Kőbánya-Kispest, and Szentendre so they could experience firsthand the challenges people with disabilities face every day. Laura, an activist, recounted: "I saw the shock on their faces when they got stuck due to an impassable staircase, a narrow door, or a useless elevator. I heard them say:
"I never thought it would be this hard."
In the spring of 2025, they took action again: messages written on white balloons—symbolizing passengers with disabilities who are unable to travel—indicated that the current HÉV (suburban railway) infrastructure also fails to allow accessible travel. Furthermore, MÁV is undergoing a total reorganization in 2025, making their intervention especially high-stakes; the mindset that continues into the new structure matters immensely. Over the past few years, they have built strong alliances with groups like the Independent Living Association, the Csepel Independent Association of People with Disabilities, and the Civil College Foundation. Their "white balloon" protests have grown into a movement that will soon expand to Debrecen, Miskolc, and Szeged.
Gábor's story
"As a wheelchair activist, I have stood up for accessible transport many times. The struggle for accessibility is never easy—reforming the railway is a tougher nut to crack than Metro Line 3 was. Often, there is a sense of chaos and helplessness from leadership, yet a small ray of hope seems to be filtering through the grayness: our action at Nyugati station was successful.
In those days, especially many people approached me. Neighbors, acquaintances, even the cashier at the corner store: 'We saw you on TV! It was a great move!' These feedbacks make you believe for a moment that what you do makes sense. But this hope is not free from fear. How much longer can we hold out? Will decision-makers really hear us, or will they resist even more? This duality—hope and fear—is present at the same time, along with the uncertainty of what the next step should be."
The many people who reached out to me and expressed their support confirmed in me: we must continue. It is possible to achieve results. Although it is unpredictable what the future will bring, I am certain that joining forces and perseverance are the keys to everything.
