That the Parliament acknowledges the Streets Ahead campaign being run by Guides Dogs, which is focused on making streets and outdoor public places more accessible for people living with a visual impairment; recognises that, as part of that work, Guide Dogs commissioned University College London (UCL) to research concerns expressed by blind and vision-impaired people about accessibility to elements of infrastructure in the public realm; notes that this research has seen the launch of a new report, entitled Designing for Inclusion: the accessibility challenges of some active travel infrastructure for people with vision impairment and other disabled people, on 18 September 2024; understands that people with sight loss are often affected by new street design and regeneration projects that include unsafe and inaccessible features, making it difficult for them to navigate independently; believes, therefore, that this data will help to inform collaborative efforts between national governments, local authorities and disability organisations to ensure that public spaces are designed inclusively and promote access for all; thanks Guide Dogs for commissioning this research and for its commitment to undertake targeted research to shed new light on the specific challenges that people with sight loss face when they encounter certain types of bus stop designs, crossings, and shared spaces, and believes that public education is key to creating safer, more accessible communities.
Supported by:
Karen Adam, Clare Adamson, Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Stephanie Callaghan, Maggie Chapman (Registered interest)
, Bob Doris, Sharon Dowey, Jackie Dunbar, Annabelle Ewing, Kenneth Gibson, Emma Harper, Clare Haughey, Bill Kidd, Fulton MacGregor, Gillian Mackay, Rona Mackay, Ruth Maguire, John Mason, Audrey Nicoll, Alex Rowley, Mark Ruskell, Kevin Stewart, Paul Sweeney, Michelle Thomson, Sue Webber, Annie Wells, Tess White, Martin Whitfield, Brian Whittle, Beatrice Wishart