Jesmond’s disabled residents raise concerns about state of Jesmond’s roads
Disability is a normal part of life. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 11.2% of people in North Jesmond, and 15.1% in South Jesmond, are classed as disabled under the Equality Act. That means almost 2,700 residents struggle with some kind of disability.
Having a disability means dealing with a condition that affects the mind or body of an individual, making it harder to communicate with others or carry out everyday activities in the usual way, which can limit their life.
Elaine Philbrick, a resident with a sight condition, told JesmondLocal: “I can’t go out at night because I can’t see well enough. Night time is a problem for a lot of people because the pavements aren’t good enough, people leave scooters in the wrong place, and cars park in the wrong place.”
Disabilities are split into four main categories: behavioural or emotional, sensory impaired disorders, physical, and developmental. Behavioural or emotional disability usually impacts people’s behaviour and thus their ability to maintain relationships. It can include disorders such as ADHD, anxiety, or depression.
Sensory impaired disorders affect one of the senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste and spatial awareness. Physical disability means that one or more limbs of a person have limited functions, or do not work at all. It can be inherited, or occur through accident, injury, and illness post-surgery effects. Lastly, those with developmental disabilities are usually born with them, which can negatively impact the individual’s physical, intellectual, and emotional growth and development. Examples include autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida.
However, disability is also something that can come with age. Hearing and vision loss, dementia, and mobility issues, such as loss of muscle strength and problems with bones and joints, are issues experienced mostly by ageing people. Sheila Lloyd, who is over 90 years old, told JesmondLocal: “It’s just that my health and my mobility is not good to do anything without help. I come by car, and I have a walker.”
For older people, on the first Wednesday morning each month, Friends of Jesmond Library organises informal and friendly meetings in Jesmond Library called Wellbeing for Life, where people can discuss various topics, from hobbies, such as cooking or reading, to healthy living, finished with a small lunch.
Chris Clarke, the director and trustee at Friends of Jesmond Library, told JesmondLocal: “We have been running these meetings for about 11 years, and they are aimed at older people, but they try to give people information and enjoyment. It’s partially to encourage people to get out and about, and also give them sort of information they might need to be living a fuller life.”
When it comes to people with some mobility issues, though, the accessibility of Jesmond is getting quite challenging.
For those people, Wellbeing for Life tries to find a solution. Clarke said: “For some people actually getting here is very difficult, so we arrange a community minibus to pick up about eight or 10 people who otherwise would be unable to get here.”
However, the minibus only works for events in Jesmond Library, and people cannot rely on it during their daily activities. The pavements are uneven, curbs are not dropped, and vehicles are parked on pavements, which makes it very difficult for people with a physical disability to move around, but “councils don’t have enough money to do things these days,” said Clarke.
Sue Collings, a Jesmond resident, also told JesmondLocal: “We went out and took my mum on a wheelchair six months ago, there are a lot of uneven pavements and there are a lot of pavements that don’t have ramps. Coupled with cars and scooters parked on pavements, “it is difficult,” Collings added.
Watch a video to find out more about how the infrastructure is affecting people’s lives.
Another problem that comes with age is the continuous hearing loss. Seniors can get a hearing aid, which is a little device inserted in the person’s ear, making the sound around audible. Although the NHS provides free hearing aids for eligible individuals, some hearing aids can cost up to £3,595.
So, at Jesmond Library at Wellbeing for Life events, volunteers have tried to help there as well. Clarke said: “Before we had proper PA equipment, there were definitely people who couldn’t hear, and that used to be a problem, so we’ve improved the PA system, and we also got a hearing loop installed here.”
Jesmond Library also tries to support people with other kinds of disability by providing special collections of books, such as for people with dementia, and other mental health and long-term conditions. They now have dyslexic-friendly books for children, which have slightly larger text, increased spacing between words and lines, and plain language where it is possible to predict the structure.
More information about dyslexic-friendly books on: https://jesmondlibrary.org/2024/08/01/dyslexic-friendly-books-at-jesmond-library/.