Dan Lake almost makes it to the top of Market Road in Rye before turning round and heading half way down to let a car pass. Unable to get his motorised wheelchair on to the pavement, he is forced to use the road itself. With the car driver unable to reverse there’s only one thing he can do. The motorist looks embarrassed. It’s a sign of more frustrations to come.
As one of the organizers of Mobility Awareness Day in Rye next weekend, Dan is touring the town checking out part of the route campaigners will be taking to show how inaccessible Rye can be. Along with supporters they will travel from Tilling Green to the Bowls Club starting at 10am on Saturday, April 26.
To be fair, today’s journey starts pretty well he says. “Normally there’s a parked car next to the dropped kerb at the Tilling Green Community Centre. There’s nearly always several cars on the pavement next to the old Queen Adelaide pub by the railway crossing. None today. And none blocking the dropped kerb opposite the station either. That one is next to double yellow lines but everyone ignores them…and the dropped kerb.”
The danger for Dan and his wheelchair is that badly parked cars force him into the road. “It can be scary and it feels like you’re taking your life into your own hands. A pedestrian can just leap out of the way if a car comes round too quickly, but once I’ve made a decision to move into the road, I’m committed to it.”
He highlights The Mint as being dangerous too. “Like Market Road, the pavements are too thin or crowded so I have to use the road. Cars come down The Mint too quickly and it doesn’t help that I’m low down compared to most pedestrians.”
After successfully reaching the High Street the next challenge is the pavement. “This one is wide enough for me, but it’s still a bit bumpy. The problem here is the dropped kerb half way up. The base plates on my chair scrape on the road as I head down. The one opposite is ok but usually blocked by another car.”
The mobility day next week isn’t just about wheelchairs. Dan highlights how parents with pushchairs and people with disabilities have trouble. “There aren’t enough dropped kerbs and if things aren’t level it’s dangerous. There are so many obstacles.”
Further along on his journey around town it’s fine on Hilder’s Cliff, but the Landgate is less so. “It’s an old building which is fine, not everything can be fixed, but getting through the arch means getting onto the road again and cars come up here too quickly.” To prove his point a car brakes suddenly to let him through.
He says he deals with obstacles that no one else thinks about. “On Rope Walk I can get on the pavement using the dropped kerb by the sushi bar, but the other end there’s nothing. Just a big drop, so the pavement is unusable. On Fishmarket Road there’s a wall that juts out into the pavement which means I get trapped. I can’t go round it because there’s no dropped kerbs and even if I did, I wouldn’t want to as the cars go too fast on the blind bend.”
The mobility day tour finishes at Rye Bowls Club, something Dan is keen to support. “It’s their open day the next day plus they’ve done so much to make the club accessible. We should celebrate that.” He also highlights Rye Kino, Simply Italian, the Cinque Ports pub, and St Mary’s Church as places that are equally accessible.
With badly parked or speeding cars and difficult to use pavements, how frustrated does he get? “I could be a real pain in the arse about it because some people just don’t care, or even worse they don’t even think about it. That’s why I want as many people in wheelchairs possible on mobility day showing just how hard it can be. We’ll be putting the able-bodied in chairs too and giving them some challenges.”
He wants to see change too. “The mobility day will also cover accessibility to shops, facilities and cafes. By raising awareness in the high street, businesses may think about the accessibility they could offer like the use of ramps, bells outside their doors or even doorstep services. There is some good work taking place – I love the new kerbs by the sorting office and the footpath to Mason Field has just had some new tarmac which is great – there just needs to be more thought. And action.”
East Sussex County Council is responsible for roads and pavements in Rye (apart from along the A259). A spokesperson said: “We receive many requests for dropped kerbs in public areas and recognise how important they are to those who rely on them to access shops and services. Due to the significant financial pressures the council is facing, we only have a limited amount of funding to develop local transport improvements, including dropped kerbs, and prioritise our work to ensure that funding is distributed equally throughout the county.”
The council also says it is in the process of evaluating and approving dropped kerb installations for this financial year, including potential sites in Rye. “The approved locations will be confirmed in the coming weeks. While the pavements in the centre of Rye are inspected every three months as part of a walked inspection route, we would always encourage residents to report any concerns directly to us via the East Sussex Highways website to enable us to take any necessary action as quickly as possible.”
Mobility day in Rye is on Saturday, April 26 starting at 10am at the Tilling Green Community Centre. #RyeMobilityAwarenessDay
More details from daniellake8@hotmail.com or call Dan 07584 435732
If you would like to be Rye News reporter on the day email info@ryenews.org.uk.
Image Credits: James Stewart , Dan Lake .
Well done Dan and the group for highlighting the dozens of hazards faced by wheelchair and pushchair users in Rye.
I was on a very steep learning curve when I became a wheelchair pusher 2 years ago.
Rye is, by its nature, difficult for wheelchairs, but could be improved.
I’m pleased to report that plans to remove the ‘infamous wall’ at the rear of the Queen’s Head are progressing and being prioritised by ESCC.
Thanks Chris. That’s great news about the wall
Thank you for putting together a really good article James i really appreciate it.
Good points made. I push my toddler around Rye in a buggy and find it exhausting at times – I can’t imagine how challenging it is for a wheelchair user. One thing that wouldn’t cost anything would be to ban shop or road signs and large flowerpots that obstruct pavements.