'Able-bodied people do not understand': Wheelchair user calls for improved access

People in Jersey with additional needs say more needs to be done to make the island more accessible.

Approximately 16,000 residents have a disability or a long-term health issue that affects how they go about day-to-day life.

Many of those islanders say due to the current infrastructure, they have to plan daily activities around their needs.

Ian Jennings is one wheelchair user who has described Jersey's current state as "a challenge".

Ian Jennings has been using a wheelchair for 12 months and says there are a lot of obstacles in his every day life. Credit: ITV Channel

Ian explained: "We were walking around Havre Des Pas, and I suddenly realised I had to go off the pavement, drive down the road to get back onto a dropped kerb.

"That was the first eye-opener for me, getting from A to B safely. It's something that able-bodied people do not understand."

Ian has been using his wheelchair for just 12 months following medical events which left him needing additional mobility help.

Jersey's government has committed to making the island a more inclusive place and has begun publishing an annual report on their Disability and Inclusion Strategy, to make sure the needs of islanders are met.

Jersey's Assistant Minister for Social Security, Deputy Malcolm Ferey, says things are moving in the right direction.

Deputy Ferey said: " I'd love to say we're there and there's no need for a disability and inclusion team.

"We're not there yet and it is a continually evolving situation."

Local charities have also contributed their ideas on how the island can be more inclusive, including making sure neurodiversity is considered as well as physical disabilities.

But bosses say in order for real progress to be made, government money must be spent.

Chris Dunne, CEO of Autism Jersey, said: "We're not going to get everything in one year, we recognise that - but if there is a commitment over the next 5-10 years - to get the unique needs of people met, there are additional costs with that."

There is currently no estimated figure on how much it would cost to make the island more accessible.

But campaigners say they will continue to fight for a bigger fund, to ensure all islanders can live an obstacle-free life.

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