Police to Improve Disability Access?

Police chiefs are being urged to improve disability access at Grimsby and Immingham police stations, following an inspection by disabled members of the public who completed a survey on behalf of Humberside Police Authority.

The stations have disabled parking but a number of  issues regarding disabled access were identified, both inside and out.

Disability Access Problems Highlighted

Members of the public pointed out that the walls and doors in the building have little colour contrast, making it difficult for the visually impaired to identify a clear route of entry.  Wheelchair users found that desks in the station were too high for them to see over.

Facilities for the disabled in interview rooms were also shown to be unsatisfactory. Desks in the room were not fitted with a hearing loop.  One member of the public requested an interpreter but police officers on duty did not know how to access a British sign language interpreter.

At Immingham station, the disabled toilet had a faulty emergency cord.  The cord had been taped up making it impossible to use and when pulled, no one came to find out why.  No reset button had been fitted and no police officer on duty knew how to turn off the alarm.

Scope

Director of policy and campaigns at disability charity Scope, Ruth Scott, told the Yorkshire Post: “In general there has been slow progress on improving access for disabled people to all public buildings, including police stations but it is something public bodies have a legal responsibility to do.

“Police forces should ensure that police stations which are open to the public can be used by everyone in the local community.”

A spokeswoman for Humberside Police said: “We appreciate the concerns raised and wherever possible and reasonable we try to cater for people with disabilities.

“We acknowledge there are areas that need improvements and we are working our way through them.”