MP wants streets that work for blind

Sharon Hodgson MP spoke at the Labour Party conference about the challenges that blind and partially sighted people face when walking the streets.

Pavements blocked by parked cars or street clutter such as wheelie bins and overhanging branches can force pedestrians to walk into the road, putting them in danger of oncoming traffic.

Shared space streets, where vital safety features such as kerbs and controlled crossings are removed, can also be dangerous and disorientating for people with sight loss.

To illustrate these risks, Guide Dogs asked the MP for Washington and Sunderland West to take a trip down memory lane and play its Navigation Game, a take on the classic conveyor-belt final challenge of the Generation Game memorising the hazards that a guide dog owner might encounter on a typical journey.

Guide Dogs is calling for action on the most common dangers for people with sight loss, including a new law limiting parking on pavements to areas that are determined by the local council, action from the local authorities on street clutter and a safety review of existing shared space schemes.

Ms Hodgson said: “It was great to speak with the charity Guide Dogs recently about all of the obstacles people with sight loss face when navigating our local area.

“People who have sight loss shouldn’t be fearful of leaving the house and should be able to live independently.

“I want streets that work for blind and partially sighted people.”