MD Support Centre service user Ian recently attended the Westminster launch of Improving Street Access: A Blueprint for Change – a major new policy report by The Disability Policy Centre. The report lays out practical steps to make UK streets safer and more accessible for disabled people.
Ian was invited to join the expert panel at the launch and represent Coventry City Council’s Disability Equality Action Partnership (DEAP), where he and his wife Jayne play an active role. “Jayne and myself had the privilege of being invited to this meeting which was a huge success,” he said. “I had the honour of being invited onto the panel and speaking.”
Accessible design
He shared how Coventry has been leading the way on accessible street design. “At the policy launch I was asked to explain the role myself and other DEAP members played in formulating the plan. We were the final cog in the process and it’s pleasing that disabled persons were key to the final document.”
The launch, which was MP-sponsored and already enjoys cross-party support, aims to push local councils to act on long-standing barriers to accessibility. Ian urged others to get involved too: “This is a hugely important blueprint and affects us all. It’s worth a read, even if it’s just the summary, so you can raise it with your local councils. Change has come — we need to be able to freely roam without obstacles, and this blueprint shows the way forward.”
The next phase will focus on a national publicity campaign to keep accessibility firmly on the agenda. For Ian, being part of the process has been a proud moment: “It was an honour to represent Coventry’s DEAP in this policy launch on a subject that’s dear to everyone’s hearts. Coventry is taking the lead, and to be at Westminster was exciting to say the least.”
Read the full policy report at thedisabilitypolicycentre.org/street-transformation-execution-plan.