JUST A THOUGHT: In response to an earlier post about road safety in Malahide, we were sent this email: We were wondering if something can be done about the state of the footpaths in Malahide Village with regards traversing by Wheelchair. From the Coast Road to the Red Brick School my Mom has, at times, a terrifying experience trying to navigate around the village. Major issues would be found going down New Street, (where she tipped out of the chair by the Medical Centre a few years back), the corner at the top of Townyard Lane where insomnia cafe is (her wheelchair got stuck there on Sunday, she was left trapped on the road at the top of the junction and had to phone me to come across the road to help her), going across the top of James Terrace from the public toilets to the Garda Station, any of the dishes in the village (I believe dishes are the term for the slopped access point from a footpath onto a road). Shes too scared to use the steep dishes at the bottom of the Rise, and has had to go out onto the road via a driveway and travel along the hard shoulder until she gets across the Rise, and uses the first driveway access to get back onto the footpath, and from there she has to navigate a difficult slope pushing her towards the kerb as she goes past Therapie clinic. Heading out the Coast Road, at the bottom of the Golf Links to go across the entrance to that estate, there are no dishes, she has to go up into the Links estate to find a dish to allow her onto the road, and she has to go back down the road until she can get onto the path at the entrance to the apartments at the back of Seabank. We did a lot of work two years ago to give her ramp access into the house so she wasnt effectively trapped at home, but in truth because of the dangers getting around the village shes still trapped. She was going up to McGoverns on the Diamond for dinner on Monday and I had to come down and push her to the restaurant because she wasnt confident of navigating it on her own. I can also testify that its no picnic pushing someone on those surfaces either. Its all been made worse by the fact that she has just returned from a holiday in Lanzarote where the paths were incredible. Everyday she went to the supermarket, and out on various different trips. It gave her such a feeling of independence that she just cant experience in Malahide. It helps her feel self sufficient again, to not feel like a burden, but now shes back she needs one of us to go to the shops for her, to the post office, or drive her to any of the various groups shes part of in the Village, which while of course we dont mind, it really isnt a nice situation for her. So to go to this, from the opportunities afforded to her by the facilities on holiday makes makes it all that extra bit difficult. Shes had a taste of how it could be. Then the times when none of us are available and she has to go out, shes genuinely scared, and experiences moments like on Monday where shes trapped on a road!! She cant get into the castle grounds either as there are speed ramps that the chair wont go over on the main route up from the Casino. The issues are endless really. None of us, thankfully, have any idea what this must be like for her, or any other wheelchair user, but it simply isnt acceptable to have the village set up in such a way that limits their mobility. I would really love if you could address Fingal County Council on this matter. Just a thought posts are sent into us by followers of our page, they are an insight into the thoughts of locals and not necessarily the opinions of the Enjoy Malahide team.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 07:15:00 +0000
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