Mayor sees Bangor differently on guided walk
Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart was given the chance to actively think about sight loss differently with a guided walk round main street on Thursday morning.
There are an estimated 57,500 people living with sight loss in Northern Ireland, with 5,950 living in the North Down and Ards Area.
Local man Ken Carson, chair of visually impaired campaigning group ‘Bangor S.I.G.H.T’ (“Sight Impaired Group Helping Transformation”), who began to lose sight in his 40s due to a condition called optic neuritis, was delighted to facilitate a simulated walk starting at Bangor Bus Station, giving the mayor and other councillors in attendance an insight into the everyday challenges people with sight loss come across in Bangor, and how these could be mitigated.
Ken is passionate about ensuring others who have experienced sight loss, or were born with a condition affecting their sight, have the support they need to thrive, which includes being able to get around their local area safely, and for business owners and service providers to take accessibility into consideration.
Ken said, “Thoughtful consideration on the behalf of policy makers, and the general public, can make such a difference for people who are blind or partially sighted living in the area, or visiting.
Things like a-boards, bins, uneven streets, and cafe or street furniture in unusual places, blocking main pathways, are such a trip hazard, with many of our group members having experienced collisions and falls. Busy roads and turn ins also make crossing the street at uncontrolled crossings frightening and dangerous.
We really appreciate the Mayor and councillors taking time today to try to understand what’s it like for people with sight loss to get about Bangor by wearing ‘sim specs’ simulating different eye conditions, and experiencing what it’s like using a cane to try to navigate your way round our streets.
Our hope is that they’ll take what they’ve learned today into consideration in future decisions that may impact those with sight loss.”
Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart said, “I was very grateful to have a walking tour around Main Street in Bangor today. It is a street that I am very familiar with but I have never had to think so much whilst walking around it. It showed the challenges that are out there for those with a visual impairment and the importance of having our streets clear and consistent.
"I think there is still work that could be done around the placing of a-boards. Pavement cafe licensing has shown what can be done in terms of ensuring they are consistent and safe, and we will certainly be taking everything back today to see what can be done to further improve the Bangor area for people with sight loss.”
The walk was supported by leading sight loss charity RNIB (the Royal National Institute of Blind People). RNIB NI Director Robert Shilliday said, “At RNIB we’re passionate about campaigning for change and breaking down the barriers people with sight loss face to living as independent and fulfilling a life as they desire.
“We strive to work with those personally impacted by sight loss, and key decisions makers in our communities, to remove barriers to fully participating in everyday life – such as ensuring streets are safe and free of clutter, people have equal opportunities in employment and education, accessible and adequate transport options, and timely and accessible healthcare.”
“We hope that today’s awareness raising exercise has given everyone who attended an insight into living with sight loss and navigating their local town, dispelled some popularly held myths and misconceptions, and helped some of our public representatives to undertake that we all see differently.”
We urge policy makers and decision makers to work with the blind and partially sighted community and broader society, to bring about attitudinal change and ensure disabilities such as sight loss, remain central to public policy planning.”
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