As part of our advocacy, #OneAccesibility, we will share information about differently able and profile one location with accessible trails. Look out every week for this enlightening post.
Pic : All these pics are taken by me when travelling through various cities in UK.
UK is one of the 167 countries that signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by the UK in 2009. It is the main treaty specifically on disability. It can potentially influence UK court decisions, either directly or through EU law or the European Convention on Human Rights.The influence of the Convention has been noticeable in EU law (eg social model of disability) which binds the UK courts, and in the European Convention on Human Rights (reasonable adjustments, personal autonomy) which is also important for UK courts.The Convention says how disabled people should be treated to give them equality.The government has made laws that protect disabled people from discrimination.
The Equality Act began in 2010. It aims to stop all kinds of discrimination. It also says that people who provide services must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people so that they can use information, services and buildings. The UK Equality Act 2010 requires all events – including things like conferences and exhibitions – to be accessible and inclusive.
The UK Equality Act 2010 defines disability as having:
“A broad meaning; it is defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”
There are extra laws for disabled people about hate crime. Hate crime means when someone does something against the law to another person because of hate or because they are different.
There is also a Disability Unit in UK which is a part of the Cabinet Office. Their aim is to break down the barriers faced by disabled people in the UK. They are also creating an evidence-based disability strategy that understands the lived experience of disabled people. A lot of work is being done (work in progress…!) to make it easier for disabled people to use things like footpaths, parks, buildings and transport. The government is supporting local councils and other organisations to run training courses for disabled people on how to use public transport. These courses give disabled people the skills and confidence to use public transport by themselves.
British Sign Language is the first language of deaf people which can be learned in colleges or universities.
Currently in London, the accessibility regulations aim to help make sure online public services are accessible to all users, including disabled people. Regulations came into force on 23 September 2018 which say that all public sector websites or mobile apps must:
- meet accessibility standards
- publish an accessibility statement
Also, The London Accessible Housing Register (LAHR) supports disabled home seekers by providing information on accessible social housing in the capital. This helps landlords to collect, display and store information on their accessible housing stock.
Some of the common barriers to accessibility identified currently in London as well as many other cities in UK are :
- Inadequate lifts or escalators and handrails
- Lack of ramps
- Footpath design is not accessible friendly
- Lack of accessible friendly toilets
- Parking Problems for disabled person
- Insufficient number of accessible friendly sitting areas in transport vehicles like metro trains,buses, etc
- Not all metro stations are accessible friendly (especially in London )
Below are some of the pics of the ‘National Glass Center’ in UK , I love this place because it’s the most accessible place I have seen in UK till date :
As a Local Guide I do my best to create Accessibility Awareness of people via knowledge sharing during the meet-ups. I also keep adding relevant Accessibility data like reviews , creating lists, etc on Google Maps which would help people and make my city Accessible for everyone. Here is my review about the National Glass Center, which is a part of my Google Maps list’Accessible museums around Sunderland 
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If you have questions, suggestions or contributions, feel free to drop a comment below. Do check the list of other articles under “Accessibility Uncovered”. Learn more about our project and team at oneaccessibility.org
Isha