Accessibility question contributions please

I have been asked to participate in a "community design" session next week (14 Jan) organised by one of bespoken's partners - Glass-House Community Led Design (http://www.theglasshouse.org.uk/) -focused around the Elephant & Castle area of London which is due to be redeveloped (not before time!). My involvement is a 20 minute presentation to the group of (secondary school) students who will be taking part before they head out on a fact-finding study of the area and an afternoon of thinking around what they want from the design of the new area - incorporating inclusion of the disabled.

I'm happy to fill the time with views based on my experiences but ... I am but one voice among the many of us!

I'd be happy to hear from anyone here who wants to contribute or raise points about (particularly though not exclusively) surrounding access to and accessibility of public spaces. The students will primarily be looking at open spaces (parks etc) but especially given the nature of the area (if you don't know it, it's a densely populated inner-city area of London and - I expect - the development will be more about shopping malls, offices and transport interchanges than parks and open spaces.

If you have anything you'd like raised, please post a response here by Monday, 13th January 2014 and I'll do my best to include it.

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Permalink Reply by bespoken Team on January 9, 2014 at 11:03

Hi George, thanks again for agreeing to do this, your contribution to the event is much appreciated

Colin

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Permalink Reply by George Perfect on January 12, 2014 at 8:41

UPDATE:

This event has been postponed at the last minute by the host school and is awaiting a rearranged date. Please contribute any thoughts about access concerns regarding public spaces here. I will update again when the new date is known.

George

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Permalink Reply by Linda Jane McLean on January 13, 2014 at 14:27

I don't think that I will have much to add to your thoughts, George.

Architects still don't get it: ramped kerbs where we are are very poor.

But having done a complete access audit of the Island of Mull, the most striking thing that affects access is attitude.

We tried to access a very posh hotel at the South of the island.The entrance had a rolling cattle grid, which turned off a very narrow country road. It had been raining, and we found that the car was simply sliding on the rollers. We all got out, and the wheelchair passenger disembarked as we decided to try for the side entrance. Alas! The gate was too narrow.

So I went alone to the front door, and explained that we were looking at wheelchair access and tourism on the island, but we could not even get the wheelchair up the drive, Did she have any comment?

"Oh,Yes!" was the quick reply."We're really pleased that you found it so difficult because disabled people only lower the tone of the place anyway."

She waved her hand around at the beautifully appointed hallway, the crystal, the antique furniture.

"You can't seriously believe that we would want wheelchairs in here?" she exclaimed. "And it is our property."

I left with a completely new take on access, accessibility, and attitude, and wondered which one needed to be altered most for the greatest improvements to occur?