Concerns have been raised with the 'News' about the state of kerb access for wheelchair users in many areas of Largs.
Our 'Access All Areas' campaign is seeking to promote improved access around Largs and surrounding area for disabled people, the elderly, mums with prams, and people with mobility problems.
With a new £12m parasports centre opening at Inverclyde Sports Centre in Largs in November, the town is going to be in the national spotlight for disabled sport, and with Largs as a popular tourism destination. campaigners have backed 'Access All Areas' including Zoe Maclean of Fairlie, who is involved with Canine Partners charity, and the North Ayrshire Access Panel, and Dr. Paul Hart, head of research and practice at Sense Scotland.
The Largs BID group is working to make the town more access friendly, and local councillors have also endorsed our campaign.
This week, Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson said: "I am in complete support of the new Access All Areas campaign and in a practical sense, if there are areas of Largs and in neighbouring communities which have access issues I would be happy to take them forward to ensure they are addressed.
"Largs will welcome many parasports events in the years to come. It is also vital not just that competitors feel welcome in rest of the town but that local residents with a disability themselves feel at home and can access public areas and shops as easily as more able bodied folk."
And this week, concerned Largs resident Hilary Moran has called for improvements to kerbs throughout the town for disabled access.
She said: "My mum lives in Burnlea Nursing Home beside the Gogo Burn.
"I regularly take her out into the shops and down the prom. The prom is just great to get a seaside wheelchair walk, I can't wait until Fairlie shore path is done so we can take her on that also. She loves being beside sandy coves having being bought up in Cornwall.
"But going into town is more of a problem. Bearing in mind my mum is a very heavy lady getting a wheelchair up even the smallest kerb, is a worry for me that something might happen and she could fall.
"Being an ex-nurse, I'm very familiar with how to use them so that isn't the issue. I feel it is great being asked what improvements we would like to see, so here goes! All I need is flat kerbs on as many corners as you can do please. The worst contenders for me are as follows: Both corners of Bath street and Main Street for going to ferry, both corners of Fort Street and Main Street to get to Co-op (at present I have to go on main road at lights).
"There are other problem areas at the top of town. Both corners of Aitken street and Gateside Street. The pavement on the Gogo bridge is so broken, I don't go on it, so that would be on my wish list too."