WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has backed a charity which is campaigning to keep Britain’s pavements clear for blind and partially sighted people.
The national Guide Dogs charity met with the MP at Conservative Party Conference in Manchester to brief her on its work to improve access to high streets up and down the land.
Dame Harriett has been an active supporter of the charity’s work and was taken on a specially arranged walk around Barnards Green where she was blindfolded to experience some of the challenges faced by people with sight loss, who can’t see obstacles.
She said: “As we see more and more delivery vehicles on the road, it is clear that lives are much harder for blind and partially sighted people who too often find their route blocked by carelessly parked cars and vans.
“Drivers may well have put their hazard lights on but if you are blind or partially sighted that’s no good at all and the Guide Dogs charity is lobbying to improve local authority powers to keep our streets safe.
“Guide dogs give blind people a crucial freedom to get out and about, but it is clearly increasingly challenging along the high streets of smaller towns where people park wherever they like to pop into shops.
“I’m backing this campaign, and I’ll keep raising concerns with the local district councils as I receive complaints.”
