A Letchworth woman living with multiple sclerosis led a march in the town to campaign for safer and more accessible pathways for people with mobility difficulties, after suffering a major accident.
Ruth Green organised the march after she went over a kerb which was not level with the road last month.
The bump in the path caused her mobility scooter to topple, and she fell to the ground.
As a result, she had bruising and cuts to her face, and chipped teeth.
She was taken by ambulance to Lister Hospital for treatment, and still has pain in her teeth as a result.
Now, she’s calling for all roads and paths to be accessible, and hopes to raise awareness to the issue that many able-bodied people will never experience.
The 46-year-old told the Comet: “The march was amazing. It was well supported and we had quite a few people turn up.
“It was quite an educational time for me and others.
“We had people that stopped us to speak about what we were doing – it really felt like the public was with us.
“Kerbs can be quite high and when you’re a pedestrian walking around, you don’t know what it is like being in a scooter – so it’s just a different experience completely.
“I just believe that the government need to reiterate the importance of this, and put in some legislation to ensure every road and path is accessible to everyone.
“A lot of people who are able-bodied don’t leave their homes thinking ‘I wonder how the pavement is going to be’.”
Following Ruth’s accident, a Herts County Council spokesperson told the Comet that the council would be looking into “whether there are additional measures that can be put into place to prevent a similar incident in the future”.
When asked again, the council has said the incident is still under internal investigation.
“The government now needs to be stepping in. We need to be lobbying councillors and MPs to be able to enforce this,” Ruth continued.
“It would make life so much easier for not just scooter users, but the elderly, those in wheelchairs and people who are injured.
“I just want to find a way in which I can travel safely, that’s all.”
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