ASPIRE INSPIRES ACTION ON ACCESSIBILITY

Paul Holmes, Liberal Democrat MP for Chesterfield last night tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons in support of ASPIRE, the local group campaigning for shops to improve accessibility for the disabled.

Commenting on ASPIRE's campaign, Paul Holmes said: "The Disability Discrimination Act requires shops to make adjustments to improve access. However, it is up to individuals and groups like ASPIRE to highlight access problems to shopkeepers before they are required to take action. Without groups like ASPIRE improvements will not be made. ASPIRE's Access Action Day in Chesterfield town centre on Friday 20th October was a huge success. I am delighted that shopkeepers in Chesterfield have reacted so positively and have begun to make the adjustments that make such a significant difference to the quality of life of disabled people."

The full text of the EDM is:

That this House considers accessibility to shops for the disabled to be an essential human right as recognised in law by the Disability Discrimination Act; welcomes the work of the local shop accessibility campaigning group Aspire in Chesterfield to achieve this in reality; recognises the support of the disability charity Leonard Cheshire in Aspire's campaign; supports Aspire's work in raising awareness of disability access in shops; congratulates the success of Aspire's action day in Chesterfield on Friday 20th October; applauds shopkeepers in Chesterfield for their positive response to Aspire's campaign; commends shops that have taken steps to make their premises accessible; and calls on all shops across the UK to work to ensure that they are fully accessible to disabled people.

ASPIRE are a group of disabled campaigners from Leonard Cheshire West Street Resource Centre in Chesterfield, who are fighting for improved access to shops and businesses in the town centre. On two audit days in October, they found over 100 town centre shops and businesses were inaccessible.