The United Kingdom’s iconic London Underground map is being given an upgrade with a new version focusing attention on stations that are step-free or more easily accessible to people with disabilities.
Beloved of Londoners and often purchased in souvenir form on mugs, T-shirts, and posters, the original map was conceived by technical draughtsman Harry Beck in 1931. Inspired by circuit boards, Beck did away with traditional mapping wisdom, coming up with a schematic diagram that, instead of showing precise geographic locations, laid out the relative positions of stations, lines, connections, and fare zoning. Though it was at first rejected by authorities, it went on to become a reference point around the world for how to represent complex city transit systems.
Now, the makers of an app called Snowball have taken Beck’s concept further, highlighting the information that can help travellers with additional needs. Stations are traffic-light colour-coded according to their degree of accessibility: green for fully step-free; amber where assistance from staff and portable ramps are required; and red for not accessible to wheelchair users.
The map also indicates airport access points, bus network connections, access to the so-called “Dangleway” IFS cable car over the River Thames, and, usefully, shows station opening times. It reveals the 93 out of 272 underground stations that are step-free, including the entire Elizabeth Line and Docklands Light Railway (DLR), as well as the 60 fully accessible overground stations.
🚨🚨🚨NEW FEATURE ALERT! ❄️❄️❄️❄️
— Snowball Community (@FreezemySnowbal) September 29, 2025
London travel just got simpler and smarter.
With the Snowball App, just 2 clicks gives you instant access to the TfL-approved Accessible Tube Map 🚇♿️
Here’s how it works:
🟢 Green stations = Fully Accessible
🟠 Orange stations = Assistance… pic.twitter.com/9vClurHUyO
During the making of the map, every station was visited by Snowball’s founder, Simon Sansome and his team to check day-to-day reality against network promises. Sansome was paralysed from the waist down in 2015 after suffering a slipped disc playing rugby. After being too afraid to use the London tube for nearly a decade due to the risk of being left stranded, he and colleagues rated each of the capital’s stations in a crusade to improve the lives of the 13.2% of Londoners who identify as disabled.
“The London Tube map has helped millions find their way around the capital, and now it’s doing the same for the disabled community,” Sansome said. “We’ve designed it so anyone can instantly see which stations are fully accessible, which may require assistance, and how to plan with confidence from start to finish.”
🚇♿️ Rethinking Accessibility on the London Underground
— Snowball Community (@FreezemySnowbal) October 1, 2025
What if Transport for London introduced dedicated Blue Carriages — clearly marked spaces designed to make travel easier for wheelchair users, disabled passengers, and anyone who needs extra support?
✅ Instantly… pic.twitter.com/hS3eFLaE44
The new version of the tube map is not the only way in which the free and award-winning Snowball app is attempting to empower community members. As well as providing further feedback on the map, users can also find and review the accessibility of a range of retail premises, restaurants, and other businesses around the world.
