Some Caithness shops are no-go areas for the disabled, claims carer Della Smith
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THE mother of a wheelchair user has blasted businesses based in the county’s two town centres for not being more user-friendly to disabled customers.
Della Smith (73) said that businesses Thurso and Wick need to do more to improve access for wheelchair-bound customers.
Her views come after it was revealed by the Caithness Disabled Access Panel that 80 per cent of businesses in the area are not meeting the requirements of the Disabled Discrimination Act in 2004.
Mrs Smith, who cares for her daughter Joy Bain (49), a multiple sclerosis sufferer, said that certain shops have been classed as no-go areas for disabled people.
She has called upon business owners to reevaluate their premises and look at how to improve the situation
"It really is impossible to access some places," she said. "The majority of shops which have steps to their entrances do not have a disabled ramp for wheelchair users to access."
Read more in Friday’s John O’Groat Journal.
