MUSCULAR dystrophy sufferer Fiona Anderson is doing a lot to make the people of Bolton wake up to the daily trials of facing life as a disabled person.

A couple of months ago the 30-year-old wheelchair user spoke out about the lack of public toilets at the state-of-the-art new Bolton Interchange.

This week she has shone a spotlight on the logistical nightmare just travelling by train can be as a disabled person.

When she went to Bolton station earlier this week, to get a train to Manchester to meet a friend who had travelled a long way to meet up with her, she discovered that the station lift was broken.

That simple breakdown meant that Fiona couldn't get to the platform to catch her train. So she had to catch another train, all the way to Horwich, on the off-chance there might be a ramp available, and a station worker to bring it to the train, so that she could get another train back to Bolton and then another train all the way into Manchester.

Most people just wouldn't have bothered with the effort. But it seems that what it takes for disabled people just to function in 21st century Britain. An awful lot of effort. Especially when it comes to using public transport. It demands effort, patience, tenacity and energy from people who should be able to expect that the world would cater for their physical needs as a matter of course. Thank goodness for people like Fiona, who aren't afraid to point out what is lacking.