40% of visually impaired people injured by footpath obstacles

NEARLY 40 per cent of blind or visually impaired people have been injured because of unexpected obstacles on footpaths.

That’s according to a new survey by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) which revealed that approximately 40 per cent of their respondents have been injured after walking into or falling over an unexpected obstacle on a footpath.

Among the injuries sustained by blind or visually impaired people who took part in the survey, a broken ankle and overgrown branches were mentioned.

“There was a car parked on the footpath. I couldn’t pass it on the inside, so I had to go onto the road a little. As I came off the footpath I tripped and went down, spraining my wrist,” a respondent said.

Respondents were also asked to pick the top three most common unexpected obstacles they encountered on footpaths. The survey revealed that cars parked on footpaths were the most common obstacles encountered, followed by dog fouling and wheelie bins.

The survey also highlighted that these obstacles affect their confidence.

Chief Services Officer with NCBI, Aaron Mullaniff, said: “The findings of this snap survey are extremely disturbing and highlight the very reasons that we all need to clear our paths. It’s unacceptable that children and adults who are blind or vision impaired can be injured in any way because of the dangers of unexpected obstacles on our public walkways.”

He added: “The physical impact of a fall or injury in these situations is bad enough, but that is compounded by the finding that nearly 70% of all respondents in this survey are less confident to get out and about independently because they may encounter dangers going about their business. We need members of the public to get on board with this campaign, understand why it’s important, and listen to the experiences of people who are blind or vision impaired to ensure that people with all abilities can use our public pathways safely.”

As part of their new campaign, Clear Our Paths, NCBI has created a webpage aimed to open the conversation and highlight what blind and visually impaired people go through on a daily basis - and how people can help them by making sure footpaths remain clear and safe for everyone. Click here for further information.