BU S H W H AC K E D
Overgrown foliage and billboards are dangers for blind people in Ayr
Blind people are being bashed by overhanging bushes and tripped by billboards as they walk along streets.
Members of the Ayr and District Blind club are urging gardeners to keep their shrubs trimmed so they don’t stick out onto pavements.
Carrick Road and Fullarton Street in Ayr are some of the worst offending streets, with jungle- like thickets blocking the way.
Getting hit in the eye, falling over and getting scratched by thorns are some of the perils faced everyday.
Robert Ferguson, 62, of Heathfield, said: “I have no sight at all. I am out and about regularly and walk straight into hedges. On a wet day, bushes dripping with rain leave me soaked. Low- down bushes growing through fences can also trip you up.
“Home owners with overgrown shrubs don’t consider we are out and about trying to go about our business.”
Standalone advertising billboards, which litter town high streets, are another problem and Newmarket Street is a particular blackspot for clutter.
The group wants to make shop owners more aware of their plight.
Bob Shields, 72, of Holmston — who is registered blind — said: “Portable advertising boards are the biggest problem. We have tried to get the problem dealt with but have not had the support.
“There is a conflict because people think they are important for business. We suffer and fall over them. One of our buzz words is awareness. People need to be aware. Life is difficult enough for us. Carrick Road is one of the worst in Ayr.”
Wheelie bins and parked cars pose other hazards. Rob Graham, of Seafield in the town, who suffers from degenerative eyesight urges residents to think about keeping pavements clear.
He said: “It is about people not being aware that some folk can’t see everything.”
Guide- dog owner Laura Grant, also a member of the Ayr support group, said her canine buddy Evans can’t steer her away from overhanging bushes above his head.
She said: “Evans is good at his job but he can’t do everything. He has not been trained to detect overhead obstacles. Evans and I are walking along and the next thing I have a branch in my face.
“I was registered blind at birth and my eyesight is almost completely gone.”
The representatives who met with the Post last week are also members of the Ayr and District Macular Society and Eye Contact.