Top ten obstacles

The top ten obstacles identified by 100 guide dog owners surveyed:

1. Overgrown hedges / low-hanging branches 87%

2. Cars parked on the pavement 81%

3. Wheelie bins / loose rubbish 58%

4. Shop furniture, incl. A-boards, displays, canopies, etc. 42%

5. Broken glass 34%

6. Badly maintained pavements 33%

7. Cyclists/scooters/skateboards on the pavement 28%

8. Chewing gum 22%

9. Discarded bikes outside shops 20%

10. Lack of barriers around road-works 19%

The percentage is based on the number of times each item was mentioned by respondents. Most guide dog owners expressed concern about two or more obstacles and so the percentages add up to more than 100.

* Building materials (piles of sand, etc) on the pavement 19%
* Other dogs (e.g. stray dogs) 18%
* Badly-placed lamp-posts 14%
* Lack of aids for visually impaired people at road crossings 13%
* Dog mess 12%

Please help to remove pedestrian obstacles and make the streets safer for blind and partially sighted people.

Link to A-Z print out for children