Update

Am just going around Ashford to review the Access Blog and update it.  Please get in touch if you have had access problems or to remove barriers for disabled people

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

Over 18 months ago I was instructed to do an access blog of my local town to see what was available from a disabled persons prespective and how hard it is to access services and will show some of the problems I had.

ASHFORD ACCESS AUDIT BLOG

FOR ASHFORD ACCESS

Author : Paul Hardisty

The Good The Bad and the Ugly

This is a report of a Disability Access Audit that I have done in Ashford Kent and some surrounding area’s.

The purpose of the report is two fold one to see the issues regarding to access issues for disabled people and secondly to reward good practices within the area.

My name is Paul Hardisty, I am accredited Access Auditor and a registered as a disabled person.

History

Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom.[2] It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most important in the county. Ashford is a relatively common English place name: it goes back to Old English æscet, indicating a ford near a clump of ash-trees.

My Report will give a brief Picture of the location and the good points if any and the bad and the ugly, I’m not doing this report to criticise private companies or public building its about chancing people’s attitudes and highlighting access issues with Ashford.

Car Parks

There are a number of car parks within the town that have good disability access, the ABC (Ashford Borough Council) properties are the best although the car parking at the bottom of the town near to station road there is about 25 disabled bays but are not used to their capacity due the distance away from the town.  Possible  quick fix is to move the bays to the  vicarage lane car park and make this a fully accessible car park.

Lidal Car Parking area

One potential issue is that disabled people are being bullied out of there disabled parking bay because of the customers from Fitness First and there is no supervision here and have witnessed many times people parking in these bays and they park because its closer to the gym.

Sevington Business Park - Car Park

Here at Sevington Business park we have a 6 large business’s including Home base, TK Maxx Boots Comet, and Argos.

Lots of visitors at this car park and there are 8 bays in total at this location and they just a wheel chair sign and no chevrons, and access is very poor at this location, re parking although no drop kerbs and no proper signage.

Eureka Business Park

10 disabled bays fully marked up but no signage re poss. offenders for parking in the bays.  At the location there are many attraction the Cinema is far the best accessible place in Ashford and even the type talk and audio translation in the theatres is of an excellent quality and overall excellent location.  Staff give assistance to Disabled people and others.  Hearing loop system works well at the ticket office.

KFC - No hearing loop even though they say they have one doesn’t work, the disabled bay is used by all customers and not monitored, heavy doors to the location and no access to counter for disabled people.

Burger King - The disabled bays are not monitored and signage is poor, entrance to the establishment is difficult due to the heavy doors.  Once inside open space at the counter found it difficult to communicate due to language issue but resolved with a manager’s help.  Disabled toilet had boxes inside and hard to navigate in.

McDonalds - three disabled bays one major issue which I raised with a manager was that the button for the door is at the far side of the access point, so when you press the large pad the door swings open in front of you and hits you, Wheelchair users and Sensory and Sight impairments and push chair will fall foul of this and many accidents. McDonalds management not interested at the store and was asked to leave afterwards. (see High Street Picture)

Frankie and Benny’s

Large doors non electric and once inside lots of obstacles and not a great location for disabled people, no disabled bays at the location.  Signage and communication poor at the restaurant.

There is a New Walk way Bridge from Sainsbury to Eureka Leisure park  and has good access and tactile paving.

Doobies

This is a all singing brand new Garden Centre and as Good access but the allies at the store are packed up to high and clutered and no directions in the store, they have a assistance outside in the open air site and waited 25 minutes before someone came to assist but they were unable to help.  Hearing Loop not turned on and notice Blue badge parking wasn’t being managed and non blue badge holders were parking there.

The Main Town Area.

The Shared Space

Wasn’t involved in the shared space project and it works most of the time the main problem is that car visitors are not aware how to drive in the town and the people on foot/trolleys or electric wheel chairs have no idea whom has right of way.  KCC are reluctant to put a Sign up to advise people of what the system is and feel that if they placed a information at all points for pedestrians then I believe that this wouldn’t be a major problem.  The main problem is at the bottom end of Bank Street see below picture.

Elwick Road - this location is an open area from the shared space area near to Debendems here there is a blended walk way and its difficult to understand for all users where disabled with children and the elderly coming from the footbridge to town there is no signage to tell pedestrians what to do about crossing this large open space, and even from a visitors perspective coming to the Town and having to navigate around it without any information is very hard and in some other places there is signage to tell people about the shared space. See above picture.

This will improve a not great idea a lot better than it is shared space works well went people have a better idea how to use it, from a sensory impairment point of view shared space isn’t ideal and more consultation should be gained on future work.

Bank Street

Here we have a pedestrians area with some parking and disabled parking (two bays)  Now I looked at the issues in this area and found a number of defects in the road and have reported to KCC Highways, There is a Street Toilet but only accessible if mobility wasn’t your impairment.

I looked at the Solicitors in Bank Street and there was only one that stood out - Kingsford have a Accessible room for there clients and a disabled toilet all on one floor.   The other solicitors were in building that maybe listed and of a dated period and found that they had heavy doors and no proper access.

The street lighting is good and signage is a bit disappointing but can be improved.

On this blog I found that some shops actually advertise help for disabled people but found that they didn’t help, example of this the loaf café in Bank Street wheelchair user wasn’t given help by staff and I assisted in getting the person in the café, because of a large step.

In Bank street there are a large number of hazards on the road from the pedestrian gate to Lloyds bank these are fault brick work and defected pavement reported by email to KCC no response as of yet.  Will point out to Duty Officer KCC Highways or ABC Highways.

In Bank Street there are a small number of Café’s and here in the above picture we have a carer and a wheelchair trying to get into a Café and the lady struggled in without any assistance and this is lacking in some shops in Ashford and needs to change. NOW.

Bank Street from the Barrier is a Paved  Area and there are 5 disabled bays in the local area, but only if you have a blue badge and in some case a council letter to say your disabled, this has to be transparent and entry must be the same for all.  Blue Badge holders only and that is it.

Solicitors on Bank Street

Having visited all the solicitors in town they all have reasonable access but would like to add that Kingsfords Solicitors have made a ground floor room accessible and hearing loop working and receptionist whom came to our aid.

High Street

The way the town is set up is very good open plan and some good accessibility but the shops and stores were a hazard in themselves with products placed in walkways of the stores and sometimes not advisable to get in the stores with Electric wheelchairs as these products were in the way and stores need to be aware that they must make proper provision under the Disability Equality Duty for access.

29 - 31 New Rents : At the top end of the high street near to the toilets which are of a good standard there is another fine example of NHS doing great accessibility and taking account for there service users best accessible place in the town centre is the Dental practise opposite to the leaf lounge.

Inside they have a good lift and at the rear a good access point and have a button outside the location to get help with accessibility.

RBLI - CLOSED NOW

Here is a building that is there to help people get back to work but the building is poorly set up and large doors on the front hard to open and once inside its open plan and not ideal for people with any impairments. This building has been closed now and all Disability Unemployment problems and advice takes place at the Job Centre Plus at International House. And advice at the Ashford Gateway.

Mobile Phone Companies

As there are a few of these stores in our town I have picked out the worst one for accessibility and the picture will explain it all:

With all the Phone stores in the town Not one of  them have a Disability Assistance Button outside their stores and if they made these stores accessible then disabled people would spend in the stores.

All the banks in the town have excellent access and are front runners for accessibility but there standards are slipping a little in that HSBC has a push button for the main doors but no-one knows where it is because they have coloured it with the facing paint?

Nat West Bank changed the settings on the electric doors but there is no alarm for with Sensory Impairments and have asked them to look at this. Again.

Lloyds TSB - Very good access and staff always come to assistance and different formats are available at the bank.

Barclays, has electric doors at the front and lift access, when I did the audit the lift was broken and was advised to come back another day, so not very helpful, but cash machine is at a reduced level.

There are other financial buildings in the town and would like to add one of them to the report Nationwide Building Society is very hard to access and crap feel to the main office and very hard to access.   Suggested to staff that they put a sign up to offer help in the store.

Then if you went to Britannia BS completely different excellent access and staff always at hand to assist.

Estate Agents

Of all the Estate Agents in the Town there is only one that givens assistance to Disabled Customers - Connell’s next to Lloyds TSB, have a Sign up and push button for help and used it and was helped in the store, and had large print, so was well impressed with that. The worst place was Rains Reed and Andrew and Co, was trying to gain entry with walking aids and no-one come to assist and asked about disability Access and they had no response.  I advised that a Sign to say Assistance would be available but nothing has happen yet.

99 pence store

This store has a sign outside stating no electric buggies inside?  This could be deemed discriminative under the disability equality duty under provision of services? Even though there aisles are the best for wide space? They have since taken this sign down  and have replaced it with a Disability Assistance sign, but no button to ask for help.

Starbucks Coffee Shop

Ground floor entry only and very difficult to get into store with products in front of you and no disabled toilet down stairs?

Costa Coffee Shop

Heavy Doors and obstacles in the shop with tables and not a very good place for sighted impairment and the disabled toilet is a store room.

Marks and Spencer’s Store

Electric doors at front but once inside the store all the aisle are full of clothing and no direct routes. Very hazardless  inside the store and there is a sign saying they are disabled friendly ?

County Square

Good facilities inside the county square main building there is 5 disabled toilets of which 4 were being cleaned at the same time by staff one member of staff, and this caused a queue the county square management team I have spoken to and they have supplied more benches for people to sit down outside the stores.  Overall good open spaces.  There is excellent access to the County square from all sides of Ashford as one would expect a new building.

But the Stores are not accessible and found a number of issues that are the same in nearly all stores take for instance Front of shops there put adverts in the doorway well this is a hazard for anyone let alone a disabled person and it’s the same all around the County Square this also could be a health and safety issue and needs urgently addressing. No store in the County Square has a Hearing loop.

Doorways Blocked, Aisles having products placed anywhere in the store and some of these products are hidden and not seen by the naked eye.

There is a New store in the County square called bright House and No access at all and a store that disabled people cant get into because of all the hazards. One of the hazards was a fire extinguisher that was by the front door and accident awaiting to happen -Advised manger to get it moved. No Hearing Loop

Spec Savers

Unable to get in the store all the products in the way and not totally accessible.

No hearing Loop

HMV

Large store which is the only one that sells all entertainment items large entrance but that’s it once inside its confusing the pay area is a minefield and no help for disabled people even though they say on the door the blue badge but what is this for? This has changed now since the audit all changed around and very helpful.

Debenhams

Has a Good frontage area but has lots of products in front and hard to get into, there are two lifts which are up to the provision and  good WC areas and disabled toilet with the Radar Key.

No Hearing Loop

Next

Like all the new stores good frontage but it’s a maze of aisles and obstacles that are very difficult to get in and around and seems that the purpose of the store is not for everyone even though they have the disabled badge and hearing loop which wasn’t working reported to manager but looked lost or didn’t know what to do.

This Store isn’t friendly towards disabled people and hazards everywhere.

H&M

Frontage okay once in the store very hard to locate the lift which is hidden by a rack of clothes, like all stores not accessible, and no hearing loop.

New Look

New look I have mentioned because of the store is aimed at young people and there are disabled young people and the accessible again is poor due to reasons already stated

River Island

No Lift and very crowed due to the products and no hearing loop.

Shop Mobility

Shop Mobility is need in this town it’s a resource that needs to be somehow funded again as disabled people are not coming to the town to shop because we don’t have the right facilities for them and is a issue that all these stores should be looking at to fund as a way to get disabled people in to our town.

Now out of County Square walked down towards the other end of the town, to some stores that I want to mention as they have bad practices and need to be addressed as its effecting the accessibility of the town.

McDonalds Restaurant

Two electric doors at the front of the building this action in place is a potential hazard the button operation is on the far side of the facing wall and once pushed the door opens in front of you and will hit you if your not aware that the come out.

Inside the store no accessible for wheelchair users and this is unacceptable as this store provides with the provision of the Disability Equality Duty but minimal provision the WC is very hard to get into and the warning cord wasn’t working.  Reported to manager.

The button for the door is too far away and when you press it the door doesn’t open straight away.

There is a push button on a rail but its not sighted very well and the disabled emblem isn’t visible and written in the signage. 

Café Express

Is one of the towns long established café and other than a heavy door they provide wheelchair access tables and assistance.  But sadly the toilets are up stairs.

Sports Direct Store

Unable to gain access to the store because of the products in front of the store and when I challenged them about getting a wheelchair in they suggested I leave it outside the store.  Company Policy is wheelchairs and electric chairs not allowed in the store.

Tufton Street

Want to mention two buildings in Tufton Street that I feel are the worst building in the town centre for Accessibility.

One is the Police Station

The Ramp is the biggest obstacle for disabled people and the elderly and parents with push chairs, and the Police Authority need to address this, the stairwell on the other side is a potential hazard as there is green fugue growing and poor lighting and the bat phone is inaccessible.  But once you have got pass these obstacles and hazards the Station has a new corporate front counter which isn’t a lowered counter there is a separate room but this wasn’t available has they couldn’t locate the key.  Hearing Loop not turn on. Then outside the Ramp there is a lonely disabled badge on the wall and inside the car park is a Police vehicle!  Update as of the 26^th November Kent Police have added a Disability Help Point but the Help point is next to a sign and is in a bad position and the signage is very small and Not within the required standard.

Update there is an accessible ground floor entrance that is sign posted but when you get to the door there are no visable aids such has handrails or information to say how the door opens, and inside there are many rooms.

Magistrates Court - CLOSED DOWN

The Magistrates Court ramp needs to be closed as its got lots of debris from broken bricks and told the court of the health and safety issue but nothing had been done, Inside very accessible and there is some disabled parking on the street opposite.

Charity Shops

There is a large amount of these shops in Town but there is on one shop that I have been amazed at the standard of help and wanted to mention them in this report. it’s the Cancer Research shop at the bottom of the high street near to Weather spoons, and they have a blue badge sign with a push button for assistance and have been a great help to accessing their store.

There are others but wanted to name a good one.

Council Buildings

The Council building are of a high standard and just need a little bit of work to put them right.

Ashford Gateway Plus has been published under another report and can be seen shortly.

Council Services

Ashford Borough Council

The first issue I have found with the council is the councils website its very difficult to navigate and isn’t accessible, am aware that work has been started to change that but as it stands not great and very poor.  Update on Website Ashford Borough Council finally have a new website and is accessible, when I done this report it was 18 months ago, so well done the council on getting the website sorted, but still a long way to go with accessibility!.

When applying for any services with the council they advise of large print and other formats but very hard to obtain was my findings.

And in one format I had I had a A4 page photocopied to A3 and they said that was large print.  I suitable advised them of their error and was changed.

If you are disabled and apply for a job with Ashford Borough Council there is likely you won’t get the job because Ashford Borough council don’t have the Positive about disabled People Two ticks and the reason they don’t have this is because don’t have any staff whom are disabled, was what I was told by HR. 

The disability symbol is made up of two ticks and the words 'positive about disabled people'. You will see the symbol displayed on job adverts and application forms.

If an employer uses this symbol, it means they are positive about employing disabled people and will be keen to know about your abilities.

The symbol is awarded by Jobcentre Plus to employers who have made commitments to employ, keep and develop the abilities of disabled staff.

Also there are Employers who use the disability symbol

make five commitments regarding recruitment, training, retention, consultation and disability awareness.

These commitments are:

·   to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities

·    to discuss with disabled employees, at any time but at least once a year, what both parties can do to make sure disabled employees can develop and use their abilities

·     to make every effort when employees become disabled to make sure they stay in employment

·  to take action to ensure that all employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to make these commitments work

·       to review these commitments each year and assess what has been achieved, plan ways to improve on them and let employees and Jobcentre Plus know about progress and future plans

Spoke to the Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisor and they confirm ABC don’t have the two ticks. This is a breach under the single Equality Scheme which all councils are in.

Will mention that there are three signs in the town with shop and store information and needs updating ASAP as this would be a great place to add information of the locations that are accessible and where you can go.

Bus Station

The Bus station isn’t well sign posted to get to and the buses are accessible but the only way you can get from the disabled bays is to walk to the top of the bus station and come back on yourself.  There are 4 disabled bays at the side of the Bus Station. The shelters are limited and no facilities nearby and the nearest public toilets are in Vicarage Road car park.  Information Desk is now inside the Ashford Gateway with the Tourist board, and not many visitors would know that.

Railway Station - Domestic

The Railway station has had some major works done over the past year and the Station Ticket Counter has an accessible counter and hearing loop and staff very helpful.

The only major issue is in relation to the Ticket barriers at the International end as they are hard to use and very difficult to get through if you are deaf and have other sensory impairments.  This location is very difficult to access and a man shouting down the help point isn’t helpful.  Help points too high and not accessible for wheelchair or with walking sticks.  The toilets on the platform were broken and found they had been out of order for sometime. Have returned and they are fixed now and it’s a RADAR key to open them or the Station staff have a key.

Am aware that the station domestic side will be developed with a new forecourt and a ramp so will keep a update for that.

International Railway Station

One of the best kept secrets in Ashford, Fully accessible and good examples of good access all round including the lifts and walkways - Parking in the International car park is excellent and assistance is at hand and suggest that a must for disabled visitors.  There also is atm at a lower level and Euro Train Staff very helpful.

Places of Interest.

MacArthur McGlen Outlet.

Having walked around this location many times I have found many faults with the Toilets having closed the disabled toilets in the main eatery centre and moving them to half way down the shopping outlet is totally unreasonable and needs to be addressed.

The Tactile paving has been changed and difficult to walk around, the walkways are full of signs and bins in the middle and lastly the stores at the location are not disabled friendly, the stores tend to put all there products in the door way and no-one can access them. 90% of the stores I have pictures of this behaviour and have written to Management company and awaiting a response.

East Well Manor

I attended this location 5 times in the year and did some research on them to find out what they say about themselves.   Well from their website they state they are full accessible  and under the pride of Britain website they are listed in there top 20 places to stay.  My concern was brought my attention to the three steps in the Pavilion Café/restaurant and was amazed to see two young staff members lifting a lady in a wheelchair down the steps.

I tried to question staff about it and said they do this all the time?  Other parts of the Hotel and Spa are accessible but if your going for lunch and need to accessibility then this location isn’t accessible.  Overall go disabled parking bays which were used by non blue badge holders.

Farmers markets.

SWAN Community Group Framers Market.

This Market is will start on the 24th April 2013 and will be on every Wednesday from 9am - 12 midday  Newtown Green, its accessible for electric wheelchairs and manual ones,  This market isn’t very big but its held on a community green and well sign posted and good all round accessibility.

There are other Farmers markets but not within the town limits.

The purpose of this blog is to highlight those locations that are positive towards disabled people and award them for their access and assistance.  And give guidance to those stores that need help in making them accessible.

I’ve done this blog to allow people in the town and visitors to know where to go that is accessible and where the information is.

Paul Hardisty

Ashford Access Group

25^th November 2011.

Paul Hardisty

Disability Access Auditor

Ashford Access Group

Dated 14^th Dec 11.

Republished as a Blog on the 1st Feb 13.

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