What do we want to change?
We want to stop the introduction of shared surface street schemes across the UK.
We Challenge...
- The Government across the UK to take leadership, and ensure guidance is issued to local authorities on how streets should be designed without recourse to shared surface streets.
- Local authorities must stop commissioning shared surface streets as such schemes discriminate against blind and partially sighted people.
- Designers and planners to challenge themselves to create attractive people-friendly streetscapes that have inclusion at the heart of the design.
Effective and meaningful consultation with blind and partially sighted people, and people with other disabilities, is also vital during any urban street design planning. It is essential that the Disability Discrimination Act and current Government policy and guidance on inclusive design, social inclusion and meaningful community involvement are taken fully into account during the designing development and delivery of any new streets.
It is imperative that local authorities test proposed new designs before they are implemented and consult local groups and disability organisations at all stages in the process of developing our streets. This does not mean that voluntary groups, or indeed disabled people themselves, should be expected to provide solutions. It is the responsibility of designers and planners to meet the needs of disabled people in the built environment by designing and implementing safe accessible streets for all users.