DISABLED campaigners from Poole say a trip to the shops can often feel like an “Olympic training course for the slalom”.

A dozen residents from The Grange – a Leonard Cheshire Disability home in Mount Road, Parkstone – took a top government official for a ‘hands-on’ survey of local streets.

Busy Ashley Road was among the areas they accompanied Jeremy Moore, the director of the Office for Disability Issues.

He was shown how telegraph poles, lampposts and large wheeled bins left across pavements can create major obstacles for people in wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

Disabled campaigner and Grange resident Wendy Tiffin said: “It was great to show Mr Moore first hand some of the difficulties we face when we are out and about.

“Things like a wheelie bin sticking out in the pavement, which other people might not notice at all, become major obstacles for disabled people and limit their ability to live independently.

“A trip to the shops can seem more like an Olympic training course for the slalom.”

The group them embarked on a bus trip to Poole town centre, to give Mr Moore an insight into daily difficulties faced by disabled people on public transport and accessing shops.

The main problem they faced as a group is that buses cannot accommodate a large number of wheelchairs, so they have to split on to different vehicles.

Wendy said: “We would like to thank Mr Moore for coming to visit us.

“He listened to our concerns very carefully and I hope that he found the day as useful as we did.”

The Office for Disability Issues’ remit is to lead the government’s vision of achieving equality for disabled people.