Chris welcomes the Women and Equalities Committee’s decision to conduct an inquiry into disability and the built environment.
The inquiry will ask whether more could be done to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of both new and existing properties and spaces. In particular the inquiry will ask whether shared space schemes in roads and highways cause barriers for disabled people and how can these be resolved.
Chris did some filming with BBC Breakfast in Sloane Square and they also sent cameras to Poynton to draw attention to the inquiry. You can see Chris’s evidence here and follow the inquiry through the committee’s website.
The terms of reference for the inquiry include:
Design and management of the public realm
- Are the needs of all groups given adequate consideration in the design of streets, highways, parks and publicly accessible open spaces and in the provision of services such as public toilets?
- To what extent do shared space schemes in roads and highways cause barriers for disabled people and how can these be resolved?
- What opportunities are there for delivering greater accessibility and inclusivity alongside more age-friendly towns and cities, including liaison with the NHS?
Media response:
The Times, “Shared spaces for drivers and pedestrians ‘are causing chaos’”, October 24th 2016.
Evening Standard, “Roads shared by pedestrians, cyclists and drivers ’cause chaos’, government report finds”, October 24th 2016.