We need to do more to make Winchester disability friendly

Last Wednesday, Martin Tod used a wheelchair to accompany local wheelchair user, Andy Cadle-Mills around town to try and understand what it’s like to use a wheelchair in Winchester.

Martin Tod learns about using a wheelchair inWinchester from Andy & Jane Cadle-Mills

“I was surprised how tough it was” commented Mr Tod after the session was over. “Winchester has a lot of steep curbs, pavements with sharp cambers and uneven surfaces – and that’s before you even consider how steep it is to get from the bottom to the top of town.”

This was the latest of a series of visits that Mr Tod has done alongside people with with disabilities to try and understand how we can make Winchester more disability friendly.

Mr Tod added “After an hour I was worn out. Winchester is hilly, the surfaces are uneven, and it’s not always possible for blue-badge holders to get to a convenient place to get out of their car. It’s been said that Winchester is the worst place in Hampshire for wheelchair users. I can’t judge whether that’s true, but it’s clear we need to do more.”

Ideas for action that Mr Tod discussed with Mr Cadle-Mills included:

• Moving to level pedestrian crossings – instead of dropping kerbs
• Flattening surfaces and removing obstacles such as the dropped drain by Middle Brook Street market
• More central Blue Badge parking spaces to enable people to get to their destination without tiring journeys up and down hill
• Scrapping charges for blue-badge holders, or having clearer signs on the Brooks Centre car-park to make it clear that it’s one of the only two car parks in Winchester that charge blue-badge holders to park.