68-YEAR-OLD Garryowen native Neil Markham sadly lost most of his vision in 2017.
But while he can manage a lot of the challenges associated with his vision, he told the Limerick Post, dog fouling and people parking their cars on footpaths are a menace that can make his life even more difficult.
“If you get dog dirt on a cane or stick or your shoes and you can’t see it, it’s terrible. You bring it home and walk it all over the house. Even if you know you’ve stepped in it, if you’re blind or visually impaired, it can be impossible to clean it all off by yourself,” Neil said.
Cars that park on footpaths force the Garryowen man out onto the road and into traffic.
“I have to be really careful with kerbs in case I lose my footing and fall stepping down. For people with a disability, pedestrian crossing kerbs are dished. When people park on the path, it’s never at a part that is dished,” Neil explained.
“This doesn’t just affect people with visual problems, it’s dangerous for anyone who can’t get by – people in wheelchairs, elderly people and people pushing buggies.”
Neil – who is a service user with Vision Ireland – said there are other obstacles that people don’t consider that cause problems, including “A-boards outside businesses that are left in the middle of the footpath, bins not properly placed or returned after collection. It’s a minefield.”
Despite the physical problems it causes and the risk of spreading disease, Limerick City and County Council issued just three fines for dog fouling last year.
18 out of the 31 Irish local authorities issued no fines at all.
While the number of fines issued across the country was low, Vision Ireland has welcomed efforts by local authorities to help reduce dog fouling – including dog litter bags and bins in public places and the ‘Mutt Mitts’ introduced in Tipperary and Longford.
But 1,250 people who parked their cars on the footpath were fined in the same period.
Kevin Kelly, head of policy, partnerships and external affairs at Vision Ireland said that “the number of parking fines issued alone is astounding and gives an idea of the many thousands of obstacles people with sight loss face in their daily lives”.
“Fines alone will not solve these problems. We must all work together and do our part to clear our paths. If everyone takes more responsibility for their actions, we can work towards making paths in Limerick safer for all.”
