Written submission from Mrs Jill Allen-King OBE (DBE0040)
I am pleased to respond to your consultation on the environment and would welcome the opportunity to come and speak to your committee.
My background is as follows.
I was born in 1940 fully sighted. I had my left eye removed in 1941 through measles. With limited vision in my right eye I attended an ordinary school and Hotel and Catering College. Worked for 7 years as a chef in London until I went totally blind in 1964 on my wedding day aged 24. I spent 7 years housebound having my daughter.
I was trained with my first guide dog in 1972. I joined the National Federation of the blind and have been working for them ever since in a voluntary capacity.
In October 1973 I founded the Environment committee for the Federation which I chaired until 2008 when the Federation closed the committee.
In 1978 we launched the Give us back our pavement campaign with the support of the Department of transport. To support this campaign the Get Streetwise video was launched in 1992. At this time I was the first lady President for the Federation. This video was funded by the Guide Dog Association.
I was a member of the Department of Transport advisory committee from its foundation for twenty years. I initiated tactile paving at pedestrian crossings in 1978 which I was awarded the M.B.e. for in 1983. This was also for campaigning for access for guide dogs into public buildings and shops.
I represented the federation on the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) Council for 30 years.
I chaired the Joint Committee for Mobility of the Blind and Partially sighted for 8 years.
I chaired the European Blind Union (EBU) commission on Mobility and Transport for 16 years from 1996.
I was a founder member of the Access Committee for England in 1984 and served for 6 years.
Over all these years I have campaigned on all the items mentioned in your consultation document.
1. Footpaths and footways are not kept in good repair. Although their is some legislation regarding parking on pavements this is not enforced by the Police. Thousands of people fall and hurt themselves daily on broken and cracked pavements.
My Mother-in-law aged 70 fell on a broken pavement where a lorry had parked and broke the pavement. She spent 2 years in hospital and died from her injuries.
Cars will often block the pavement which means pedestrians have to go out in to the roads.
Pavements are full of hazards for blind people. The main reason I did not go out on my own for seven years was because of all the hazards on the pavement. After all these years these obstacles are still there.
Overhanging branches, Bollards, dustbin bags and wheely bins, A-boards, shop displays, unguarded holes, road works not protected properly, badly positioned street furniture, dog mess, parked vehicles, and the worst danger of all, people cycling on the pavement.
2. In one of our leaflets that we had for cyclists it said to the cyclist, Blind and Partially sighted people cannot see you, deaf and hard of hearing people cannot hear you and the elderly cannot move out of your way quickly as they have limited movement.
It is illegal to ride on the pavement, very few prosecutions are made.
It is not only young people that ride on the footway or footpaths, but elderly people as well. If you say anything to the person riding past you they jus swear at you.
I have had people trying to ride between me and my guide dog.
In 1984, when the cycling issue covering shared facilities was discussed in Parliament, I was not allowed to listen to the debate. At that time guide dogs were not allowed in. After 12 years of campaigning, in 1987 the rules were changed and guide dogs were allowed in to the Public Gallery.
Despite our opposition, shared facilities for cyclists and pedestrians on footway and footpaths was passed.
Our policy in this Country and in Europe is that all cycling facilities should be built on road space and not on pavements of any kind, and that includes pedestrian areas. A painted or tactile strip down the middle of a pavement is no help, and even where they have been installed, many cyclists ignore the dividing line. Many of us have been cyclists so we know the benefit of cycling but we cannot accept them on the footpath or footway.
The bell was removed as a requirement for a cycle, requested by the Pedestrians association. We campaigned for years to get the bell brought back, which it was a few years ago, but only to be on all new bikes. It is still not a requirement to use it.
As cyclists do not have a licence, tax or insurance, if they hit you they do not have to pay the injured person. All cyclists should be taxed and have insurance.
Children should be trained to ride bikes on cycle tracks, trained to know what it means when a person who is using a white cane, or a red and white cane or a guide dog. They should be trained to stop and not whiz round the pedestrian.
3. The Federation have campaigned for many years for pedestrian crossings. While on the Departments mobility committee we introduced the Pelicon, the Puffin and the bleep and sweep audible signals. As many deaf people could not hear the audible signal, we introduced the knurled knob. This was to be installed in addition to the audible signal, and not instead of the audible signal. Unfortunately many Local authorities have removed the audible signal which makes it very difficult if you only have the knurled knob. As you have to keep your fingers on the knurled knob to feel it turning, people with numbness in their fingers, which included myself sometimes, just cannot use it. If you have a guide dog in one hand and a shopping trolley in the other, that leaves no free hand to feel the knob. At least with the audible signal you can hear it, and you can position yourself in the centre of the crossing. It is very difficult to go straight across a road when you are totally blind.
We had the experiment in Southend to put audible signals on to ordinary sets of traffic lights at cross-roads. Although we have some sets like this and they work very well and are very safe for pedestrians and drivers, they are not yet a standard for the whole Country. We even have filter lights, but when the red phase comes on, all roads come to a stop.
Where there are complaints about the noise of the audible signal, some local authorities switch off the signal over night.
The audible signal not only helps blind people but it helps children and people with mental health issues.
Zebra crossings can be helpful but what can happen, one car will stop for you and then another car will overtake the one that has stopped for you and I have had a lot of near misses this way.
The new courtesy crossings that have been introduced in share space areas are extremely dangerous and you have no legal protection when using them. These kind of crossings should be removed completely.
4. In 1970 I was a member of the first Access committee in the Country. This was in my home town of Southend.
At this time wheelchair users were asking for kerbs to be dropped so they could cross the roads. As this started to happen all over the Country blind people were finding that they did not know if they were on the pavement or in the road. It came to a head when a blind man was nearly killed in Hull. Sir Peter Baldwin, who was then Permanent Under Secretary of State for Transport, called a meeting of blind people and people who used wheelchairs.
I made a suggestion of a tactile paving to be introduced for all controlled pedestrian crossings. After 2 years of research by the Road Research Laboratory from 1978-1980 the first tactile crossing was laid outside the House of Commons. This tactile paving was launched by the Secretary of state on July 18th, 1983.
During the following years another tactile paving, a corduroy design, was launched for the top and bottom of steps.
As the tactile paving was introduced to give blind people knowledge that there was a safe place to cross on a controlled crossing, why have so many local authorities installed tactile paving in many unsafe places, like the curtesy crossing.
The corduroy patten is now being introduced in some shared space areas. This is extremely dangerous and should all be removed.
5. In 2005, while chairing the E.B.U. commission we learnt about the first shared space being built in Holland. My Vice chairman knew of one being developed in Copenhagen and was very cross as no blind organisation had been consulted.
We passed a resolution at our Federation conference in 2006, stopping all shared spaces from being built.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association started the Stop Shared spaces campaign and was eventually supported by 50 national charities. All Local Authorities were written to, and while most took notice and did not build them, as you know, many did.
In october 2008 I spoke to a conference of Transport Ministers in Paris about the dangers of these shared space schemes for blind and partially sighted people. I was told by many of the delegates they had not considered the needs of blind people.
The concept that the driver makes eye contact with the pedestrian is impossible for blind people and many people with learning or mental conditions. With all pavements and pedestrian crossings being removed it leaves no safe place for people to walk or cross the road.
Although we were consulted by Southend Council about one scheme and we all opposed the scheme, the Council ignored us and went ahead. This means I cannot leave my railway station at Southend Victoria as there is a shared space straight outside.
The Southend City Beach scheme, which cost 7 million pounds, was started in April 2011. There was no consultation for this scheme.
When we were shown a tactile map of this area we found there were no toilets in the area. Low, knee-high round bollards are planted along where the kerb should be, causing a real trip hazard. A friend fell over one of these with her guide dog. The shop owners will tell you they see near misses every day.
From July 2011 we have been running a petition against these schemes. This is the local branch of the National Federation of the Blind and the Southend Pensioners campaign.
I presented the petition to Southend Council on December 15th in 2011, and after a 20 minute debate the petition was referred to the Scrutiny Committee. To date I have still had no reply, despite writing every year. We have continued with our petition and will present it again in December this year.
Unfortunately the surveys that are conducted take no account of the numbers of pedestrians and drivers that will not use the areas because they are so dangerous.
6. When the Street works act of 1950 was revised we suggested that a metre high solid barrier should be used by all utilities and Local Authorities and this was agreed. This does not always happen, and only this week a friend living in Stockport, a totally blind man who uses a long white cane, found himself on wet tar, because no barriers had been put up. If this had been a guide dog, the tar could have caused serious harm to the dog's feet. Signs are often put up for sighted people but no audible information for blind people.
When we responded to the Street works act consultation we suggested that such road and pavement works to be started, should be given out on local talking newspapers and local radio.
The Colchester talking newspaper gives a very good Highways report every week.
Disability awareness trading should be given to all workmen and service providers.
7. The most dangerous problem currently for blind people is the introduction of silent cars. Even though my hearing is pretty good I have to depend totally on my guide dog to cross roads now. You just cannot hear the electric car approaching.
We did a lot of campaigning on this issue in Europe and I visited the Nissan factory in France to test some prototypes.
The problem is that the drivers do not realise that blind and partially sighted people cannot hear them coming.
Even sighted people tell me they find them a danger. While shared space areas are no go areas for some people, the silent car is going to be in every street, thus causing a potential accident to many people. All silent vehicles must be fitted with a sound that can be heard by everyone.
8. I am worried about the introduction of the driverless car. We have had a meeting with the Department but we must have proper consultation with blind people on this matter.
9. I know you have not mentioned guide dogs in your document, but as it is a guide dog that gives blind people the opportunity to take part in the life of their communities, I want to make the following comment.
When I had my first guide dog in 1972 she did give me back my confidence to go out on my own. At the time my daughter was six years old. My first trip out was to my local library. I could not believe that i was told to wait outside with my guide dog.
From that day on I have fought for access for guide dogs. At that time there were many public buildings that would not allow guide dogs. Cinemas, theatres, holiday camps, hotels, the Royal Albert Hall, British rail dining cars and sleeping cars, etc. I suggested to Guide Dogs for the Blind Association that they produced a sign that said "No dogs allowed except guide dogs". These signs help to train staff as well as the public.
Over the years access has improved, but due to so many people from ethnic communities running shops and cafes, and not understanding what a guide dog is, there are many cases all over the country of guide dogs being refused in to these shops.
10. Many buildings are adapted for people using wheelchairs, but often the needs of blind and partially sighted people are forgotten. Very seldom is there an area where my guide dog can go to the toilet before going into a building. Very seldom is there a help button on or near the door that you can ring for assistance. There is never a tactile sign on the door so that you know the name of the building. Some doors are all glass, which makes it difficult for partially sighted people to enter. My husband, who is partially sighted, will walk in to such a door. They all should have a colour band across the door.
Help and information desks should be positioned close to the door and should be well signed in large print, and if possible an
audible sound for blind people.
11. Over the past few years more elderly people are using mobility scooters. Despite campaigning on the dangers of these vehicles to other pedestrians, nothing has been done about it.
Disability Essex used to train scooter users and we were visited by a Minister of Transport, Norman Baker, a few years ago.
The problem is that anyone including registered blind people can go and buy a scooter and ride it with out any training.
Like the bicycle they do not have to be taxed, licenced or insured. There is no requirement for them to have an audible signal to indicate their approach. A lot of drivers seem to think that other pedestrians should move out of their way. Obviously blind people cannot see or hear them coming, and elderly people cannot move out of the way quickly. I was in a shop in Southampton with my daughter a few years ago. Fortunately my daughter saw out of the corner of her eye a scooter travelling at high speed backwards aiming straight for me with my guide dog. she had to push me out of the way, otherwise my dog and I would have been seriously hurt. In this case the man just could not control the vehicle.
You will have many records of scooter accidents. Training must be given, and the people being allowed to buy them must have good sight.
All vehicles should be taxed and have insurance. All scooters should be limited to 4 miles per hour.
12. Although transport is not part of your consultation, without a frequent, reliable bus service many elderly and blind people cannot live and take part in the life of their communities. Many car drivers have to give up driving because of poor eye sight and other medical conditions. Taxis are very expensive, so bus services must be provided to take people to their shops, doctors, hospital and social functions.
Although I live in the middle of Westcliff I have no bus service to my rail station so I have a half hour walk. I have been doing this walk for many years now, with a guide dog, but now I am 76 years old, and the pavements are in such an awful state, which makes the walk very tiring and difficult.
We have no bus service to our sea front and no bus service along our sea front. This is from Chalkwell to Southend.
13. A hundred people go blind every day in the U.K. With very little rehabilitation and mobility training available, walking and travelling for these people, let alone the Two million blind and partially sighted people already living in our communities, is extremely hazardous and, therefore, any improvements to our streets and pavements will help to make the quality of life improve.
14. For the past 10 years i have produced a national tape magazine for the charity Living Without sight ltd, which goes to about 800 blind and partially sighted people. Many contribute with their views on Mobility Matters. I can assure you they would agree with my comments written above.
I am quite happy for my comments to be published.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope that I can come and meet you.