Rye’s second Disability Awareness Day took place on Saturday 20 June, organised by the Rye Disability Action Group. Everyone mustered at 10.30am to hear Paul Goring, our town crier, give his informative cry about the pitfalls that are in evidence in Rye for those using wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs.
The Mayor of Rye, Councillor Chris Hoggart, came to support, do the walk around Rye and see the issues first-hand. He commented, “It isn’t until you walk alongside people in wheelchairs that your eyes are opened to the pitfalls and obstacles that we just walk around in our normal day. When you are in a wheelchair or are pushing a buggy it can be so dangerous to have to walk into the road in order to proceed on your journey. It was also good to applaud the shops and businesses who had made their shops accessible. Of course not every shop can do this as there isn’t room for a ramp but it was also an eye-opener as to which shops were not available to everyone. Well done to Dan Lake and his team for raising awareness; we look to a future when cars and vans do not obstruct the pavements and the dropped curbs.”
The streets were awash with yellow balloons advertising what the walk was all about and many people stopped to find out why it was taking place. Events like this are important because they help people understand, in a practical and personal way, the challenges that many disabled residents and visitors face every day. It is one thing to know that Rye’s cobbled streets, narrow pavements, steep gradients and historic buildings can present difficulties; it is quite another to experience those obstacles first-hand from a wheelchair. Even a short journey can reveal how challenging it can be to navigate uneven surfaces, find accessible entrances, cross roads safely or simply move around independently.
Joan Ridgers shared her thoughts after the event, saying, “I decided to take part in the Rye Mobility Awareness Day in a wheelchair to experience first-hand the difficulties that wheelchair, mobility scooter and buggy users experience just trying to do the simple things we take for granted going round Rye.
“The main thing that stood out was that you really need to plan your journey and know where the drop kerbs are otherwise you can get stranded. Even then you can come unstuck by vehicles blocking the kerb as we found out near the entrance to the Market car park.
“Although there are several drop kerbs in the town my experience was not always a good one as they were not flush, making it hard for the person pushing. I realise that Rye is not an easy town to adapt but a few changes could make a big difference.”
“We found two lots of scaffolding on our journey which did not help and boards on the pavements can be an issue if they have been moved slightly. Going from The George to the Kino we experienced uneven, narrow kerbs which was really uncomfortable and made the wheelchair unstable. One of the worst areas was from Adams going towards Landgate as there were no drop kerbs and no path once we had turned the corner, making the journey hazardous. Crossing the road to The Cricketers pub was also a nightmare as you couldn’t see traffic turning from Landgate.”
When the participants arrived at Rye Bowls Club they were excited to witness the first Disability Star Award being presented to the Bowls Club for showing awareness and accessibility to those with disabilities.
For a historic town such as Rye, where preserving heritage must be balanced with modern needs, these events provide valuable insight into how the town can remain welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
Image Credits: Kt bruce .
Rye certainly has its challenges, as do most historic towns in our area. You may wish to contact Cllr John Lee of Bexhill Town Council who has been effective in improving life for those with accessibility needs. He has a group called ‘Rollin Crew’ with about 100 members in Bexhill.
Hi Hazel I read about that it looks interesting it would be great to have something like that here in Rye.