Disabled boater forum dates for 2022
THE Canal & River Trust has started its programme of disabled boater forums for 2022. The virtual meetings are held on the third Wednesday of alternate months.
To improve accessibility, the trust has arranged a British Sign Language interpreter to be present at the online meetings which began in February.
The informal forums are places for disabled boaters to discuss the challenges they face when using the inland waterways and to share their views about how to make positive changes. Boaters can also expect to get updates from the trust on work to address these issues and improve the boating experience.
CRT national boating manager Matthew Symonds said: “We recognise that boating can be more challenging for people with physical or mental health impairments and actively work with disabled boaters to identify and solve problems where they arise.
“Accessibility means more than simply addressing physical barriers to visiting or getting on the water: making sure we improve communication for deaf people is important and we hope that, by inviting a British Sign Language interpreter to our regular forums, more boaters will be able to get involved.”
Dates for the meetings are: Wednesdays April 20, June 15, August 17, October 19 and December 21. All take place from 4-6pm.
Registration is via Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.co.uk or contact the trust to receive notice of upcoming meetings by emailing rachel. hayward@canalrivertrust.org.uk
These forums also appear on the Inland Waterways Accessibility Forum site on Facebook.