Blind Ribble Valley street walk left MP Nigel Evans ‘unnerved’

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans could usually be expected to find his way around the streets of Clitheroe without any difficulty.

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But when the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) asked the veteran politician to make familiar journeys wearing blacked-out glasses or eyewear designed to mimic tunnel vision, it was a different story.

Lamp-posts, car wing mirrors, shop advertising boards and planters all became potential hazards along Mill Lane and Castle Street, even with a guide by his side.

Mr Evans had agreed to take part in the exercise as part of a ‘Street Accessibility Fortnight of Action’ by the RNIB, which aims to highlight thehazards faced by those with sight problems on our streets.

The MP said: “It is important that we understand the barriers that blind and partially sighted people face when getting out and about and to look at ways in which they can be tackled.”

Lindsay Armstrong, the charity’s regional campaigns officer, was on hand to guide Mr Evans along the way, and the pair were also joined by local campaigner Michael Tupper, who is blind and uses a guide dog to get around town.

“As a blind guide dog user living in Clitheroe, the obstacles I encounter most are cars parked on pavements, overhanging branches, uneven pavements and obstructions caused by advertising boards,” said Mr Tupper. “It is important that the local authority understand the problems these cause for myself and other blind and partially sighted people and work alongside us to address them.”

The party set off from Railway Road and toured the busiest shopping areas to make the challenge authentic. Lesley-Anne Alexander, the RNIB’s chief executive, added: “If decision makers understand how blind and partially sighted people navigate the streets, and take that into consideration, they could help tackle one of the biggest barriers faced today by people with sight loss.”