Disabled face a city of obstacles

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Disabled Face a City of Obstacles 

A campaigner has drawn up a list of challenges facing disabled people trying to get around the city. 

Paul Southwood, disability officer for Leicester and District Trade Union Congress, visited busy parts of the city centre on his mobility scooter, identifying "the good, the bad and the ugly" for access. 

His report has been sent to mayor Sir Peter Soulsby. 

Mr Southwood has Guillian Barré syndrome, a disease of the nervous system which causes weakness and paralysis in the limbs. 

His report said an increase in street furniture from outdoor cafes, smoking areas and advertising boards had created obstacles for the less mobile. 

Mr Southwood said Market Street and streets near Leicester market were the worst. 

He said: "It's nice to be able to sit outside in the summer but it's about getting a balance. 

"The advertising boards are getting worse and in St Martin's the pavement, which is already small, is getting smaller because of them. 

"When you are on a scooter, it can be like going round the chicanes at Donington Park. It just needs common sense to see how that could create problems for some people. 

"There needs to be a limit on the obstacles." 

The report said the railway station was also difficult to negotiate for people with disabilities and the major redevelopment work being carried out had exacerbated the problem. 

Mr Southwood said: "Instead of doing the work in phases, they have chosen to do it all at once, which has meant quite a narrow corridor to get to the cash machine and the area has been boxed in. 

"At one point, the only way for everybody to get to the ticket hall was a narrow ramp with no handrails." 

A Network Rail spokeswoman said: "As a result of passenger comments, we have made improved, secure arrangements to give disabled users access to the station into the ticket hall from the long-stay car park via the storage lift. 

"While not specifically designed to improve disabled access, this should improve the station for all users." 

The bus stops at Leicester General and Glenfield hospitals were also criticised. 

Mr Southwood said the stops needed raised kerbs and the shelters should be upgraded.
He said: "Proper bus shelters – the same as in the city centre – are needed at all hospitals." 

Ruth Ward, travel manager for Leicester's hospitals, said: "We continuously review our travel and access plans and we will certainly bear these helpful suggestions in mind." 

Deputy city mayor Rory Palmer said: "I welcome this report. 

"We take these issues very seriously and we are always looking at how we can improve disabled access in the city."

Problems faced by the disabled

This letter is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Problems faced by the disabled

Well done Alex Squire (First Person, June 11) for highlighting some of the shortcomings that wheelchair users have to put up with.

There are many places in Leicester where they flout the Disability Discrimination Act, but there are some places where it cannot be enacted. For example, I bank at Lloyds and my branch was High Street. There is no wheelchair access, but they are not allowed to alter the building because it carries a preservation order.

Their branch in Horsefair Street is accessible and until recently it had a dedicated counter for the disabled which could be used without queuing. This so-called privilege has now been removed because it was being abused by other, more selfish, clients. It's obviously an easier option for the management to remove it rather than trying to enforce it and please the few.

If this happens every time a system is abused, then there will be no dedicated parking spaces and no toilets for the disabled.

Many is the time we have waited outside a locked toilet only to see a perfectly able person walk out.

I know you can't always tell a disabled person just by looking – but the "giveaway" is the sheepish grin and the mumbled apology.

I waged a campaign with public transport in Leicester for a few years and I am glad to say that things are considerably better now, thanks to a little retraining.

Some years ago we got on a bus at Leicester General Hospital and the driver said: "You'll have to fold that up." Had I been able to fold the wheelchair up there would have been no need for it! Mind you, there is still the odd Arriva bus that cannot be accessed.

Only last week there was an old type bus on the 51 route and we had to wait for the next one. They do have until 2012 to change them all though, I believe. Because I'm not sure what the situation is with coaches, we do not use them.

All credit to the staff of the train station here in Leicester, though – they are wonderful and can't do enough to help. It's a real pleasure to travel on a train – it's just the cost the prohibits the indulgence.

I am fortunate in as much as I have a manual wheelchair and my husband is good enough to push me around. If I were in the same position as Alex I should find many more places would be no-go areas.

I believe, as Alex does, that the Act should be more legally binding and the politicians who crafted it should be more interested in monitoring same – otherwise the law really is an ass.

Val London, Leicester.