Paralympian States Disabled Individuals Were “Clearly Not Considered” in New Footbridge Design

An advocate for disability rights, who is also an eight-time Paralympic champion, asserted that disabled individuals were “clearly not considered” during the construction of a recently built footbridge. Sophie Christiansen, a resident of Berkshire, commented that the absence of disability-friendly features on the new footbridge, which spans the railway line in Wokingham, was “not surprising”. Wokingham Borough Council approved the plans in 2023, stipulating that Network Rail was required to enhance the design to accommodate disabled individuals, pram users, and cyclists. The Tan House footbridge, scheduled to open on Friday, extends across two railway lines, connecting the Ormonde Road allotments with the Carnival car park in Wokingham. Ms. Christiansen competed for Great Britain in dressage across five Paralympic Games, securing eight gold medals and five world titles. In 2017, she received a CBE in recognition of her contributions to para-equestrianism. She stated that encountering inaccessible situations, leading to her being unable to proceed, is a “daily occurrence” for her as a disabled person. She remarked: “I can’t get into my local shop, because it has a step and they won’t build a ramp.” She added: “It’s frustrating because people don’t see this as discrimination, because disability access costs more but the fact is it will work for everyone.” She indicated that she isn’t “surprised, infrastructure like this [footbridge] is built all the time without disabled people in mind.” She continued: “It just proves that the equality act is not fit for purpose because it does nothing to make organisations keep disabled people in mind but also prams and bikes.” She further stated: “It’s not surprising, but it is still shocking that in this day and age we are not considered.” She concluded: “There would be uproar if any other minority weren’t able to use this footbridge so I think we need people to start thinking more about disabilities,” she added. Network Rail communicated that the bridge’s design allows for future enhancements, including the installation of ramps or lifts. The council stated that although accessible features could be incorporated at a later date, this would necessitate securing external third-party funding. Individuals unable to utilize the footbridge without a ramp will be required to follow a 13-minute alternative route via Ormonde Road, Barkham Road, and Wellington Road. Network Rail also mentioned that, in addition to obtaining further funding, upgrades would involve using council-owned land, which would have caused additional delays to the project. Councillor Paul Fishwick, the executive member for active travel, transport, and highways, commented: “We lobbied Network Rail at senior level about making this replacement bridge accessible for all our residents.“We are disappointed that Network Rail did not comply with what we see as their responsibility to meet the requirements in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which says that a project like this needs to be accessible to all people.” A spokesperson for Network Rail stated: “We are naturally keen to ensure the railway is accessible for all and remain committed to continuing to work with Wokingham Borough Council to identify third party funding options for accessibility upgrades.”