Following the successful Rye Mobility Awareness Day in April, I’ve been working alongside Rother District Councillor Simon McGurk to advocate for improved accessibility in the town.
One of our key initiatives of installing drop-down curbs on the High Street is now moving forward and should be implemented soon, pending final confirmation from East Sussex County Council. See our previous article here.
In addition, I’ve been collaborating with A Rye Good Time creator, Arabella Ansar, to introduce a new Mobility Accessible category on the A Rye Good Time Town app. This feature helps disabled residents and visitors easily locate accessible shops, food and drink venues, leisure activities, parking, toilets, transport options, hair and beauty services, community centres, and more.
We’re also working on an Accessible Rye Town Map to help people with mobility challenges navigate the town and reach its landmarks more easily.
Looking ahead, I’m now forming a Rye Disabled Action Group. The goal of the group is to work with local councils to improve pathways, install more drop curbs, and address other barriers faced by disabled people, while preserving Rye’s unique charm.
If you’d like to be part of this initiative, please get in touch: 07584435732 or by
email daniellake8@hotmail.com
Together, we can make Rye a more inclusive and welcoming place for everyone!
Image Credits: KT Bruce , Dan Lake .
If the Rye High Street was pedestrianised; there would be no need for drop down kerbs on pavements that are very narrow in anyway in places.
And it would a much pleasanter environment for everyone.
That would be lovely. Guildford manages to do this, between certain hours. Even if it could be done just on certain days of the week in Rye, it would be a start.
It would be so nice if the high street was pedestrianised, and park and ride from each main roads into Rye. We could have market street traders, more street entertainment, maybe mini shuttle buses and accessible golf buggies from the train station to the castle etc. Rye could equal Tuscan villages with this pedestrian and accessible infrastructure transformation. We don’t need eyes to see, we need vision.
I love this idea
Something along these lines would effectively remove accessibility to the high street from those with mobility issues that limit the distances they can walk. Currently they’re able to park in disabled spaces and manage to walk short distances to get to where they want/need to go. Not everyone with mobility needs uses a wheelchair or mobility scooter. A fair and reasonable compromise is needed to accommodate all those with mobility issues.
No it wouldn’t. Small easy accessible micro buses and golf cart type buggies are used throughout towns in Tuscany to ferry folk of all physical capabilities from park and ride car parks and train stations/ bus stops.
How many times has pedestrianisation been talked about in Rye over the years, sadly the powers to be reject any kind of effort to make the town pedestrian friendly, surely from Adams to lion street would cause little inconvenience, and it should be temporary trialed in the summer months.
What about making sure the toilets are open when they are supposed to be. Women’s shut this morning, no explanation, no re-direction to other facilities.