Town Centre Tour to Raise Awareness
Tuesday 30th November
2010
To highlight the various challenges
faced by people with disabilities in their day-to-day environment,
Mayor, Dave Hodgson, will join a group of sensory impaired people
on a tour around the Town Centre, between 11am – midday, on Friday
3rd December.
The event, supported by Bedford Borough
Council, takes place on International Day for People with
Disabilities, and seeks to raise awareness and understanding of
disability issues and to promote independence, inclusion and choice
for disabled people.
On the day, other organisations walking
alongside service users with physical and sensory disabilities
include key service providers such as BedfordBID, Stagecoach and
Bedford Borough Council.
Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “People with
disabilities can find a trip to the shops difficult due to common
items such as benches or bollards, for example, which can present a
potential hazard. We want to work on ways to avoid this as much as
possible and help provide disabled people with more confidence in
their environment and promote their independence. This event will
also give us invaluable experience which we can draw on as we press
forward with plans for further town centre regeneration, ensuring
that the town centre is accessible and attractive for all.”
Three tours will run simultaneously (from
11:00 – 12:00pm) leaving from the Harpur Suite:
Tour A - Highways (street furniture, pavements
etc.) and parking
Tour B - Shops and their facilities
Tour C - Transport and buses