Planning days out

[HarryBristol]

Hello everyone!

I'm doing my final year project at the University of Bristol and I'm looking into the problems encountered by people with disabilities on a daily basis when leaving the house, and that includes difficulties faced by parents and carers too.

We'd want to provide a platform for the community to share experiences and advice with one another regarding the accessibility of places you may wish to visit (cafes, restaurants, museums, etc..) and hopefully remove some of the anxiety of trying somewhere new.

It would be so great if you could please fill out a short survey so that the service could be more tailored to what you want. Also any comments or questions below are very welcome!

https://goo.gl/forms/e4N6ZnfKgH8WTrz32

Thank you and have a good day!

[reddivine]

Sorry, the survey failed at the first hurdle. The answer for me was BOTH.

[reddivine]

As I tried to say, but it was not really covered the problem starts at the front door. And for carers too. How do we GET to said venue? For a lot of folks thats a car, but some like me have to rely on public transport SO does a bus go there? Can my wheelchair go on a bus?
Transport for London does a good job but try checking out a few routes using step free and wheelchair accessibility - not all stations are.
Ditto with trains - some wheelchair spaces are a laugh! Cross Country springs to mind!

Bear in mind I'm on;y talking from viewpoint of wheelchair user. Visual disability, deaf ppl might have other issues.

[sea queen]

We use a large taxi when daughter goes with us as I can't get everything in the car - her powered chair fills the back.
usually take her commode at well apart from next year and it's costing a whopping £80.00 for a four night stay - just to be used during the night!

I will usually ask many questions of the people I am booking with and have still been let down - Blackpool being the main place so we haven't been for a few years.

As for the area if I don't know it i will google it and check out accessibility around the area that way.

[birdwatcher]

A really big problem for me on days out is lack of seating everywhere.

I'm not in a wheelchair and hope to remain so, so to do that I actually need to walk, but when I'm out everywhere has gotten rid of benches along the streets, there's none.If I am at a shopping centre or in London and my pain has gotten too much that I need to sit down, or I feel dizzy or fatigued, I have to walk another long way to find a possible seat somewhere.

It's something I always think about when I'm out.

[nukecad]

Have you looked at hiking/camping stools/chairs recently?

Modern materials and designs mean that these have become prettty lightweight and compact while still being sturdy.

They are not going to be suitable for everyone, some are a bit too low, but you may find one that suits you.

Take a look at your local outdoors shop they should have a few you could give a try.

I like this one, weighs about the same as a bag of sugar and folds up to about the size of roll of wallpaper.
http://mywildearth.com/hiking/portable-camping-stool/

There are other lightweight portable seats on that website.
http://mywildearth.com/hiking/lightw...chair-reviews/

[birdwatcher]

Have you looked at hiking/camping stools/chairs recently?

Modern materials and designs mean that these have become prettty lightweight and compact while still being sturdy.

They are not going to be suitable for everyone, some are a bit too low, but you may find one that suits you.

Take a look at your local outdoors shop they should have a few you could give a try.

I like this one, weighs about the same as a bag of sugar and folds up to about the size of roll of wallpaper.
http://mywildearth.com/hiking/portable-camping-stool/

There are other lightweight portable seats on that website.
http://mywildearth.com/hiking/lightw...chair-reviews/

Thank you, I have thought about it, but they are too heavy, I try to take the smallest of bags and amount in it, because the more I carry, the more pain I'll be in. I know some are as light as a bag of sugar, but to carry a bag of sugar for an amount of time would cause further pain, and not many are that light that are suitable to sit on when I'm in pain and in the street.

Also, any one that would be sturdy or comfortable enough for me to sit on, would just be too much to carry around with me.

I would love some more benches installed along streets where there are shops, but I think a lot of councils got rid of them, some of the time to dissuade the homeless.