A project to look at access issues for older people has led to a new partnership between Age UK IW and Island Roads.
The ‘Pavements are for People’ project, which explores common access issues for older people, has been co-produced by members of the Age UK IW Older Persons’ Steering Group, the Age Friendly Island team and Island Roads.
The useful resource covers topics such as parking on pavements, overhanging hedges and various trip or slip hazards and explains which organisations are responsible for access issues and how to report matters of concern.
The work is part of the charity’s overall drive to help develop an Age Friendly community on the Isle of Wight as part of a global initiative driven by the World Health Organisation. This wider initiative looks at all aspects of people’s physical and social environment and aims to support healthy, active ageing for everyone and access for all.
Age Friendly Island is part of Ageing Better, a programme set up by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. Ageing Better aims to develop creative ways for people aged over 50 to be actively involved in their local communities, helping to combat social isolation and loneliness.
Over 40 organisations have already signed up to the Age Friendly Island Charter pledge and Island Roads is the latest to join in making its commitment both in terms of the wider pledge and the newly created Digital Friendly pledge.
Island Roads’ Service Director Steve Ashman said:
“We have done some work previously with Isle Access through our training programme to help our staff understand some of the challenges faced by people in the community who are less mobile. This new partnership with Age UK IW is a natural next step and we are looking forward to continuing our work with the charity to see what we can do to support older people as we carry out our work on the Island.”
Article continues below this advertisement
Age Friendly Project Manager Emma Lincoln said:
“Keeping pavements clear for people, particularly those with mobility issues or sight challenges is vitally important so they can continue to use them freely and safely in their everyday lives. This project has helped pinpoint the type of challenges faced by older people and we are grateful to Island Roads for their help in working with us to create this useful resource.
“We look forward to their continuing involvement with Age Friendly Island and in welcoming other organisations to sign up to our Charter and Digital Friendly Island pledge.”
The ‘Pavements for People’ resource is available to download or read online at www.ageukiw.org.uk or you can order a hard copy to be posted out to your home by calling 01983 525282 or by emailing [email protected].
No mention of parking on pavements, parking on both sides of the road to impede visibility, parking on crossings, excessive speed …
Island Roads can’t do anything about parking enforcement, the biggest issue. The council should be involved in this venture for an effective joined up response.
The pavements marked with bicycle symbols along Fairlee Road may need revisiting then!
well – clear the pavements of all the badly parked cars, bikes, mobility scooters, cafe chairs, tables, bins, barriers, signposts, advertising boards, plant pots, drinkers, smokers and poorly placed scaffolding, then perhaps the pavements will actually be for people to walk along, without having to dodge everything.
I’ve been deleated again…..wot a surprise…. why IE ?
You’re not the only one. I replied here to you yesterday and it was awaiting approval when i left the site, now today your comment is gone and so is my reply to you, if it ever showed up at all. And they say they never delete posts and allow all posts. We can plainly see that is not true, so why do they say it? It used to be so different here, hardly any posts got removed, always used to show up, no captcha thing which sometimes doesn’t work and prevents posting at all, and no limit to how many times you could post in a thread, or how many words you could use. Freedom of speech has been well and truly curtailed.
I hear you brother.
Such a shame, as this could be a really good site. X
I note that ‘he’ is not standing alongside the crossing in Lind Street, Ryde, at St Thomas Square, near NW bank. Oh no, of course not. But I won’t mention this, as to do something constructive here will cause gridlock to Ryde for at least 9 months.
I’ve got an image in my mind of Age UK actually helping Island Roads by doing the digging etc. – ‘might just put the lean on a shovel brigade to shame!
And wheelchair users, and pushchair users!
Not just elderly
why oldies?I’m disabled and 50 odd and find it hard too get past things out there ignorant drivers parked up…especially in disabled bays too just rush intoo shops no badge put out…standard at warehouse! .lucky they have more than the 2 is 3 pitiful spaces everywhere else.hedges and verges are in need of sorting regardless of who uses.discrace they are. I get its not I roads job too sort that but services all over are pretty much stopped through covid laziness excuses