Disabled access (1 Viewer)

I was thinking firstly how fortunate i am being able bodied and still able to climb over walls and up hills etc, but i still curse the fact of the lack of decent hides where i live, you know, somewhere you can sit for a few hours with sarnies and some tea, however the hides i,ve seen (when i can find em) are in a sorry state and not safe, so how do disabled birders get on? would be interesting to hear from anyone who has experienced both good and bad sites and situations....

I do not have a disability, but agree that the state of some hides are shocking. Often dirty and poorly maintained.

It's patchy. Some reserves, particularly the larger ones, are well equipped for birders in wheelchairs. Others are simply impossible to access.
One of the most difficult issues is shingle and mud, which make progress very difficult for a wheelchair.
I'm lucky enough to be now free from my reliance on a wheelchair but I virtually gave up going birding for 10 years, largely as a result of the impediments of stiles, steps, some types of gate and shingle.
The RSPB's Pulborough Brooks gets my vote of appreciation, with powered scooters to borrow, ramps into hides and easy progress along boardwalks.

Peter

Johann Sebastian Bach said:

It's patchy. Some reserves, particularly the larger ones, are well equipped for birders in wheelchairs. Others are simply impossible to access.
One of the most difficult issues is shingle and mud, which make progress very difficult for a wheelchair.
I'm lucky enough to be now free from my reliance on a wheelchair but I virtually gave up going birding for 10 years, largely as a result of the impediments of stiles, steps, some types of gate and shingle.
The RSPB's Pulborough Brooks gets my vote of appreciation, with powered scooters to borrow, ramps into hides and easy progress along boardwalks.

Peter

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I am also no longer wheelchair bound but still assessed as 70% disabled following a stroke, so I tend to notice the accessability to such places as a disabled birder. I also agree with your vote of appeciation for Pulborough Brooks, having visited this spring. Holland is generally the best country for disabled access to anywhere, I find and although it is costly and therefore dependent on generous donations my members of the public, there is also the problem of environmental impact against wheel chair accessability, eg even pathways/boardwalks for some sites, especially wetlands to consider. Disabled people are obviously more aware of their needs and sometimes is just a matter of pointing things out and asking for help from the RSPB volunteers that can then offer advice depending on the state of the paths/hides and which ones to avoid. Its not always easy, but there are places that can be visited and there are some to avoid and a liitle searching on the WWW before hand can save a lot of stress and wasted milage.