Glasgow Councillors to experience poor sight situations

Glasgow Councillors to experience poor sight mobility

A cross-party group of Glasgow City Councillors will try to navigate around obstacles and clutter on the streets near George Square this morning [Thursday, December 1st] wearing spectacles that mimic different sight loss conditions.

The exercise has been arranged by national charity RNIB Scotland to demonstrate the problems that blind and partially sighted people  experience when confronted with advertising boards, bollards, cycle racks and café furniture.

Wide-ranging concerns have been expressed by disability groups as Glasgow, along with towns and cities across the country, moves to redesign urban streetscapes, part of a post-lockdown bid to encourage more active travel like cycling.

The councillors taking part in the walk will be guided by members of RNIB Scotland. The special spectacles they will wear simulate blotchy (retinopathy), cloudy (cataract) and tunnel (glaucoma) vision and other conditions.

Eileen Clarkson, the charity’s campaigns officer, said: “We welcome this opportunity to let elected members from all the main parties find out more about how difficult just getting out and about can be when you have sight loss. The short route we have chosen, very close to the city chambers itself, has numerous obstacles that can present a hazard to the blind and partially sighted.

“This is why we continue to raise the profile of ongoing street developments from a visually impaired person’s perspective. We believe the needs of all residents and visitors should be built into future developments to ensure some areas don’t inadvertently become no-go areas for those with sight loss.”