England is a very old country, so sometimes it’s literally impossible to make certain spaces accessible (say higgeldy-piggeldy shops or steep winding staircases to church towers).
And with an ageing population and many of those disabled, good town planning can still make other places accessible. Creating wide-pavement walking communities, building new developments around feet and wheelchairs (not cars) and making more places dog-friendly would all help – read more on this below.
We’ve all cringed, seeing shop assistants have to struggle with people in wheelchairs, with people rushing in to help them over doorways, without good ramps etc.
Surprisingly, the most accessible city in England (Wells, Somerset) is also the smallest (although some local residents disagree). Also read how to make use of disability benefits.
If you’re late back to a parking space due to disability or age (even an old dog!), it’s worth appealing a parking fine.
Due to a ’10-minute government grace period’. Usually councils halve fines to make you pay immediately. If you can afford to take the risk, you may not have to pay it all.
Understanding Inclusive Design
Inclusive design is about making spaces inclusive for all. For instance, there is not a ‘separate area’ for disabled children to play’, as the design is so good that everyone plays together. It’s far more than ramps and signs.
In Portland (Oregon), volunteers take blind and disabled passengers around the public transit unit (which include Braille signs) until they are confident to travel independently. That’s a great example of inclusive design.
Good elements of inclusive design are:
- Smooth wide ramps
- Tactile pavements and Braille signs
- Motion-sensor lights (that turn off when not in use, also good to reduce light pollution and stop birds flying into windows).
- Surveys and forums (if you’re a councillor, are you asking local people what they want?)
Councils always say they have no funds. But they could hire out empty parking spaces on weekends with JustPark to drivers. And raise thousands of pounds likely in a weekend.
A few birthday books for your town planner may not go amiss, as councils worldwide have come up with ideas, needing no extra cash.
More Accessible Public Bathrooms
Enter places you wish to travel at AccessAble to public bathrooms that are easy to access. Not providing good free public toilets means many elderly and disabled people don’t go out, as they are frightened of not finding somewhere.
Or they go out (but they don’t drink anything), which leads to dehydration.
- A £5 Radar key is a worthwhile investment, as it lets you into accessible toilets nationwide.
- Another idea is a Uribag (possibly free on NHS, ask your GP). This little latex canister is a portable urinal for men (just pee, empty on the kerb, then wash at home). The female version is designed for bedbound patients.
- Other options are Shewee (pee without undressing) which also makes QeeZee (an easy-to-recycled vomit bag! Just seal and dispose of in the bin).
- Popaloo (ideal for churchyards and allotments) uses dry powder in a biodegradable bag that turns to gel on use. Natsol composting toilets are modern, hygienic and affordable, and accessible for everyone.
How to Make Indie Shops More Accessible
- Offer foot or bicycle home delivery. If customers live nearby, deliver yourself (or hire someone) to deliver to those unable to visit in person.
- In the US, DoorDash employs people to earn good income by walking or cycling orders in local towns. They receive activation kits and keep all the tips.
- Install a doorbell! Ask disabled customers to ring the doorbell. You can then take orders while your customers go for a cuppa, then return later on to collect. Keep a tab, take the cash or bring the cash machine to the door.
- Set up an online shop. This happened during the pandemic lockdown, when small shops had customers order online. Code & Coconut themes (run on self-hosted WordPress) includes compatibility for free plugins to add a pretty store.
- Make your shop more accessible. Remove floor clutter (this helps prevent ‘hidden corners’ to prevent theft). Don’t stuff counter areas full of clutter, as people in wheelchairs need space to write cheques etc.
- Buy a quality portable ramp, so people in wheelchairs can navigate small steps. This post offers good guidelines on correct width, height, safety and ease of use.
Helping Blind People to Get Around
Firstly, know that most blind people are fine with the term ‘blind’ or ‘low vision’. But they don’t ‘vision-impaired’. People with 10% or less vision are classed as legally blind anyway in most countries.
BlindSquare is a self-voicing GPS app that helps people get around safely, and also details points of interest (and useful places like post offices and libraries).
Just shake the device to hear details of where you are, while the app filters out unnecessary places. It can save favourite places, talk in several languages, and work hands-free.
Be My Eyes is a popular app which (unusually) has more volunteers than recipients. You sign up, then any blind person worldwide can send a message, asking you to ‘be their eyes’. You can read recipes, decipher colours or read instructions.
The idea was started by Danish furniture craftsman Hans Jørgen Wiberg (who does not have full vision). Within 24 hours of launch, the app had over 10,000 users.
- Blind person’s allowance is added to your yearly allowance. Also register for benefits, if you care for someone who is blind or partially sighted.
- You can claim discounts on on your TV license. But one of England’s most bonkers laws, is that you get a ‘discount’ if your TV is black-and-white. Blind people can’t see it, so why on earth is this not free?
- Relay is a free app to help people who have difficulty using the phone. Also register with BT Protected Services Scheme, so they can contact you if you forget to pay, to avoid cutting off your line.
- BT Home Essentials offers cheaper calls and broadband (ask about BT Priority Repair and free BT directory enquiries).
- Royal Mail offers free postage (national and international) of books, printed materials, audio/electronic media and mobility aids. Also benefit from free digital radio loans.
Free Books for Blind Adults and Children
Listening Books is a charity that lends out books to anyone with sight problems. For around £20 a year, the books include Wild City, about our urban wildlife (listen to a sample online).
Living Paintings offers touch-to-see books for children & adults. Everything is dispatched for free through RNIB’s Articles for the Blind program.
Screen Eyes is a supplement to prevent age-related macular degeneration, sold in a tin with sustainable refills. One 90-year old reviewer took this daily for 14 months after being monitored for possible glaucoma. A recent eye check-up found that one eye could read 3 rows lower than a year before.
Before taking supplements, check with GP if pregnant/nursing or you have medical conditions. Keep away from young children & pets.
Creating And Finding Dog-Friendly Places
Most of us love dogs, but many places (including Wetherspoons) don’t accept dogs (even outside, even well-behaved ones).
By law, assistance dogs have to be accepted, but some places (and taxi drivers) don’t comply. If so, complain on Open Doors app).
You can’t force shops, pubs, hotels and restaurants to accept dogs, it’s usually more to do with concerns over behaviour, aggression and peeing/pooing on the floor!
Some dogs also steal food! There are hygiene laws meaning that dogs are not allowed in commercial kitchens. If you run a food-business from home, you’ll know there are laws for cooking in kitchens (not letting fur get into food!)
Check For Dog Beach Bans & Tide Times
Before travel, always check weather and tide times. There’s no point taking dogs to places where pavements are too hot, or there are no cool shady areas. If in doubt, stay at home with your dogs, or find someone you trust to look after them.
One reason to make places more dog-friendly is that some (irresponsible) dog guardians may visit the seaside and then leave dogs in cars, if there’s a beach ban.
Don’t let dogs run after driving, as it can cause bloat. Wait for an hour or two.
Read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
Dogs can die quickly (even in warm temperatures with windows ajar or air conditioning left on). If you see a dog trapped in a car, break the window and move the dog to a cool shady area, pouring cool (not cold) water over their body (not head). Then immediately call the vet. Driving with Dogs?
If you get stuck on a motorway (especially on a warm day) while taking dogs with you on trips, visit Driving with Dogs. This site (set up by a couple who ended up stranded on a motorway in a traffic jam with a dog) lists the nearest dog walking areas, by motorway exit.
So rather than having to chance it, you know which exit is the best place to let your dog out for a walk and a pee.
Tebay Services (Cumbria) offers fresh water bowls and coffee machines (so you can get a brew without leaving your dog to wait in a queue). It has northbound/southbound dog walks with family-friendly traffic-free routes offering splendid views across Howgill Fells. Keep dogs on leads.
Making Parks More Dog-Friendly
In Liverpool, the council recently banned dogs from many parks, which caused uproar. Often the excuse given is that dogs make poo messes. But dogs poo! Councils should offer dog bins with free bags (people forget, it’s human nature).
This costs less than sending staff to clean up (meanwhile it can cause blindness in dogs, children and wildlife). Offering overflowing poop bins (as councils don’t empty them enough) is no good. Nor is planting pet-toxic bulbs in parks (learn pet-friendly flowers, mulch and landscaping choices).
Where to Find Dog-Friendly Places
Visit Dog Friendly, a website packed with places to visit with updated reviews and information. But ultimately the answer is for small shops and establishments to try to welcome dogs as much as possible.
The onus is on guardians to ensure their dogs are well-trained to avoid food-stealing and aggression.
But also on business owners by not just banning dogs for no good reason. You can always add caveats like a sign for ‘well-behaved dogs only’ or asking for an extra payment to cover cleaning costs, if there are any accidents in hotel rooms etc.
Inspiration from Dog-Friendly US Towns
In the US town of Mt Laurel (Alabama), the architect designed it to be walking-friendly. So ideal for dogs and also for humans (you can walk from your house to the farmers’ market or even the fire station if need be).
One idea it has created is a dog park that’s split into two. One area is for energetic playful dogs who like to socialise. Then the other end of the park is for older, shy or nervous dogs. This enables all dogs to have fun, without one type accidentally scaring the other!
The affluent northern California area of Carmel-by-the-Sea is often cited as the most dog-friendly town on earth.
Police patrol the beach to ensure dogs are not left in warm/hot cars, nearly all shops/cafes are dog-friendly, a ‘fountain of woof’ spurts out fresh water for thirsty dogs, and there is even a local dog calendar, with profits helping animal shelters.
