On Friday August 3 James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, took a blindfold walk today with Guide Dogs to find out more about the challenges faced by local people with sight loss.
James carried out the walk in North Street, Rochford, accompanied by Shaun Basham, Karen Mumford and Hannah Bird from Guide Dogs. James also met Chris Dunn, who is a guide dog owner living in the area to talk about some of the specific issues she faces going out and about in Rochford.
Blind and partially sighted people face obstacles and challenges blind and every day as they go out and about in our town centres. The hazards they face often include tables and chairs on pavements outside cafes, badly designed pedestrian crossings and poorly parked cars that block the pavement.
Shaun Basham said: “We’re extremely grateful to James Duddridge for taking part in this event and we hope he found the experience useful in understanding how difficult it can be to get around if you are visually impaired.”
James said
""I was entirely out of my comfort zone walking with a dog whilst blindfolded. It was really insightful and has enabled me to get a much better understanding of the challenges blind and partially sighted members of our community face on a daily basis.""