AN OPEN forum will be held next month to discuss access and facilities for people in Frome.
Fair Frome will be hosting an ‘Access for All’ forum on Tuesday 7th March, which will open up a discussion around challenges faced by Frome residents. The focus will be on the accessibility and appropriateness of local facilities for all those who need consideration regarding any physical, visual or hearing impairment, as well as those who need additional emotional support to access all the social opportunities that Frome offers.
The forum comes at a time when local parents are campaigning to improve the toilet facilities for disabled people in Frome, which they say are ‘useless’.
Alison Douthwaite launched a campaign along with other parents to raise awareness about the lack of fully-accessible disabled toilet facilities, not just in Frome but in the whole of Mendip, and the negative impact this has on people’s lives.
Alison said, “My daughter has athetoid cerebral palsy and cannot stand or sit independently. This means she needs a bathroom with a hoist and changing bed. Frome’s disabled toilet in the Market Yard is totally useless for her, meaning she cannot do many things in the community that most of us take for granted.
“Although not everybody knows about them, the horrible truth is we are all one accident or illness away from needing a toilet facility like this. However, it is an issue which is easy to ignore because families needing them often have so many battles to fight, that this is one which gets forgotten.”
Fair Frome’s Wendy Miller-Williams said, “This will be an opportunity to discuss personal experiences and highlight issues for both residents and business owners when it comes to providing access to shops, restaurants, cafes and other local venues, as well as considering the lack of accessible toilet and changing facilities in the town.
“The event will be chaired by Karen Stewart, a local resident and wheelchair user, and will include a range of speakers sharing their personal experiences of the difficulties they have faced. It will be very informal and an opportunity to listen and contribute.
“If you are a member of an organisation that has done some work around access in the past, we’d love to hear from you, so that we can collate all research and reports to date.”
The event will be held at Frome Football Club on Tuesday 7th March and will begin with light refreshments at 12.30pm and run until 3.30pm. People are invited to bring a packed lunch. To book a place contact Wendy on info@fairfrome.org or 07714 587129 by Tuesday 28th February.
