Officials in the Scottish city of Inverness have taken on a wheelchair accessibility challenge to try and get a better idea of what limited mobility really means in their city centre.

And what an eye opener it was. The four councillors, all of whom are non-disabled, took to a wheelchair for an hour to explore Inverness on wheels. We got in touch with one of them, Councillor Graham Ross (pictured on the right, next to Councillor Richard Laird) to find out what he took away from the experience.

Why did you want to take part in this challenge and what did you hope to get out of it?

‘I know the gentleman who organised the challenge very well and (although it was not my Ward it is my home city) as such was happy to take part to see what challenges exist for people in a wheelchair.’

Can you give me a brief overview of the day’s events?

‘Four Councillors took part in a variety of everyday tasks in the city centre, e.g. accessing the bus station, the Victorian Market, Crossing roads, going for a coffee and even going to the toilet. The challenge lasted approximately an hour and we also had a “helping hand” on occasion.’

Did it go more or less as you’d expected? Or do you have a whole new appreciation for the difficulties faced by wheelchair users?

‘Having recently done something similar in a motorised scooter in my Ward I had a rough idea of what I might face. However, the scale of the challenge presented a variety of other “difficulties” for instance - accessing the Bus Stance was near impossible.’

What surprised you the most?

‘The number of outward opening doors with no push button opening aids and dropped kerbs which defied the trades description act! They were like cliff faces to approach.’

Is Inverness more or less accessible than you imagined?

‘Some parts are very good but an awful lot isn’t.’

How has it impacted your thinking and how will impact your work as a councillor?

‘Whilst on my travels in my Ward I have spent the last few days looking at dropped kerbs to see where they are placed and if they are actually accessible.  A small drop of tar to provide a “ramp” will be required at a fair number in order to ease people’s passage and not get stuck on the road! I will also be trying to make sure that any future developments are disabled friendly.’

Do you know Inverness? What can you tell us about accessibility in this beautiful city?

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