Initiative highlights accessibility issues in Inverness city centre
CAMPAIGNERS invited the public to try navigating Inverness city centre with people affected by disabilities in a bid to underline the need for improvements in urban accessibility.
The initiative, organised by We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote, the Royal National Institute of Blind people Scotland (RNIB) and Spinal Injuries Scotland, saw people working in public services and other volunteers taken through the city centre by guides with visual impairment, or in wheelchairs who showed the difficulties of moving around.
We Walk, We Cycle, We Vote co-ordinator Suzanne Forup said: “Streets are about as much of a public service as you can get and it should work for everyone. We wanted to demonstrate this is not always the case.
“It’s important people that work in transport, architecture and the development of infrastructure understand how streets have to work and they need to include people with real-life experience when they design them.”
Mrs Forup added that since the collaboration between the three charities one year ago, they were finding out how campaigning on common objectives can help them all.
Rod Murchison, of the Highland Visually Impaired Working Age Group, said: “Some people give up on going out because they are not confident or are frightened something may happen to them.
“It’s really important that we report issues when they arise.”
* Click here to read more news.