Leicestershire mental health and disability charity Enrych has worked alongside adults with complex needs to put together 'wish list' to make the local area more accessible. 

In a special session at the Marlene Reid Centre in Coalville, Enrych worked with visitors of the 'Feel Good Café,' their caregivers and loved ones to put together a list of ways they would like the local area to improve accessibility for them. 

Visitors to the Feel Good Cafe were asked how they would like to see accessibility improved in Leicestershire (Photo: Enrych)

The Feel Good Café is a drop-in session that runs between 9.30am and 12.30 every Tuesday, allowing people struggling with loneliness, mental and physical health issues and complex needs, as well as people looking for company, to access community and a safe space. The Café includes free arts and crafts weekly, as well as games, bingo, hot and cold drinks, the chance to socialise and more. 

In a special session held on Tuesday 12th August, representatives from Enrych joined the group to discuss accessibility and how accessibility can be improved in the area. The group is popular with visitors of a variety of ages, needs and backgrounds, meaning a variety of ideas were put forwards. 

To make the activity engaging, those involved were asked to 'wish upon a star' or wish on a dandelion, creating a display to showcase their answers. 

Visitors to the Cafe were asked to 'wish upon a star' (Photo: Enrych

Suggestions put forward by café attendees included: 

• Potholes on pathways improved and less half-and-half parking on the pavement which makes it difficult for wheelchair users, 
• Less automated telephone answering services, 
• Car parks having ticket machines, rather than relying on apps, 
• Lowered curbs in town centres to improve access for wheelchair and mobility aid users, 
• Direct busses to key places like hospitals, doctors surgeries and town centres, 
• Quiet shopping hours in shops for neurodivergent people, such as times where there are less people, no music playing etc, 
• More public toilets that are free to use and easy to access, 
• Shorter waiting times for doctors and easier appointment booking systems that don't rely on apps or computers, 
• More help available for those who struggle to do online shopping and access online services and support 

A wish submitted by the group (Photo: Enrych)

Enrych is based in Leicestershire-based charity founded in 1986 by Leonard Cheshire and Sue Ryder. They work to empower individuals with poor mental health, disabilities and neurodiverse conditions to live life to the fullest by providing personalised support services. 

In a recent article published to Sam's Blog on the Enrych website, Sam discusses issues affecting the local area, including the lack of direct bus services to major towns, where those with complex needs can find it difficult to take indirect routes and change busses, made worse with frequent cancellations and services running late. 

This is compounded by low-numbers of wheelchair accessible taxis and private hires in Leicestershire and South Derbyshire, making accessing wheelchair-friendly transport difficult, expensive and unreliable with long waiting times and a lot of pre-planning required. 

Enrych is a charity that provides support for adults with disabilities, mental health issues and neurodivergence (Photo: Enrych)

Sam also discusses the move to a 'digital-first' approach to services, with public services like the NHS pushing residents to use apps or online booking forms to make appointments or get help. A survey by the Good Things Foundation found a third of digitally excluded people find it difficult to interact with NHS services. This uptake in digital services has caused a decline in non-digital services, leaving many people without an effective way to access vital support. 

For example, there was recent outrage at the new Money Hill Carpark in Ashby opening initially with only a pay-by-phone option, causing local people to say this 'indirect discrimination' was preventing those who chose not to or are unable to use a phone unable to pay. This has recently been rectified and a payment machine installed. 

Speaking directly with the individuals and families affected by accessibility issues, like this workshop by Enrych, can be very eye-opening for local organisations and authorities to get a better idea of the issues effecting people in the area.