Bangor blind and partially sighted residents celebrate local campaigning successes
For over 10 years local blind and partially sighted people in Bangor have been campaigning for a safe way to cross a key point of the Bangor Ring Road at the Ballymaconnell Road junction. Safe access to Bangor Town, local shops, and Ballyholme beach is now possible thanks to the new controlled crossing.
Ken Carson, Chair of Bangor SIGHT group (Sight Impaired Group Helping Transformation) said:
“This new pedestrian crossing is a perfect example of what can be achieved if local visually impaired people get together and campaign to make improvements in their local area.
This was such a dangerous stretch of road. You really were taking your life into your hands trying to cross all four lanes of a busy road. The next safe crossing was nearly a mile away, with busy side roads and roundabouts to navigate before you got there.
Sometimes myself and I know other blind or partially sighted people resorted to getting a bus to get across safely. Now, I can take a walk down to the shops or Ballyholme beach in the nicer weather here and it’ll take less than half the time. We all know time is precious and a simple visit to the shop if you’d run out of milk or bread was anything but, for anyone who can’t drive or have access to a car.
Relaying these difficulties and dangers, and working with the local council, local businesses, schools, various stakeholders, and politicial representatives to see this crossing come to fruition, restores faith that positive results can be achieved.
We’ve been working, campaigning, for the past 10 years for this. Yes, sometimes we have to be patient to do that, but if you don’t do anything, then you achieve nothing.
This crossing will be here for many decades to come, long after we're gone, for visually impaired people, and indeed many living near this crossing, in the future to achieve access to shops, the beach, Bangor town centre and more.
“We have also been pleased to work with RNIB and Translink more recently to see new large print signage put up in Bangor train/bus station, making finding the way about the station so much clearer, for all passengers living in or visiting Bangor.”
“I would encourage local visually impaired people to get together in their local area to work with their local representatives and stakeholders because positive results like this can be achieved."
Paula Beattie, Policy and Campaigns Manager with RNIB Northern Ireland said: “We highly commend the Bangor SIGHT group on their dedication to working together with local stakeholders to bring these changes to fruition. The RNIB NI Campaigns team are always delighted to support local people with sight loss to see positive changes in their community, making independent living and travel much easier and enjoyable.”
If you are interested in campaigning for positive changes in your local area, you can reach out to RNIB NI's Policy and Campaigns team on [email protected]
