Members of the National Federation of the Blind of the UK will travel to Torquay by train from all parts of the UK, for their Annual Delegates’ Conference, to be held on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September.
The Mayor of Torquay, Councillor Nick Bye, will open the Conference at 9:30am, at the Bishops Court Hotel.
Delegates will discuss issues that affect all blind and partially sighted people, including:-
All buses should announce bus stops and destinations, and bus passes should be free all day with no time limitations, which already happens in a few parts of the UK.
The Blue Badge parking concessions are currently under review by the Department for Transport, and these should be retained for blind people who can use them to be driven to the shops, etc.
Concern is expressed about motorised vehicles which drive on footpaths, without tax and insurance. These are extremely hazardous for blind people.
Shared Space schemes that are being introduced up and down the country are leaving streets without pavements and pedestrian crossings, making them “NO GO” areas for blind people.
An emergency motion will condemn the Government for not awarding blind people the Higher Rate of the Mobility Allowance. They currently receive ??30 a week less than people with a physical disability. We will be having a mass lobby of Parliament, with other organisations on October 15th, to press for the increase.
National Federation of the Blind