A PENSIONER who struggles to get his mobility scooter into his local shops has called for a change in attitude towards disabled access.

David Baker lives on Turner Way in Abingdon but despite there being a row of stores, including a pharmacy and post office, on nearby Reynolds Way he said he is regularly forced to travel into the town centre.

The 79-year-old explained: “The shops would be really convenient if I could use them but the doors are so narrow and some of the doors, especially the post office, open inwards so it can cause problems for people already inside if I try to enter.

“I’m sure it would be the same thing if I was in a wheelchair.”

Mr Baker, who is unable to stand for long enough to queue at the post office, said: “I don’t really blame the people who work in the shops because they didn’t build them but it shows how it was not taken into consideration at all when they were made.

“I find it so hard I go into the centre of Abingdon instead to do simple things like post a letter. It’s just a shame really.”

Charlie Palmer, who works at the pharmacy on Reynolds Way, however, said the store had not been approached by any customers with problems and that several were disabled and used wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

She added: “They seem fine with the width of our door, but I can’t speak for the other shops which do seem to be a bit narrower.”

“There’s no steps on any of them though and the kerb lowers in two places.

“I think the post office in general is quite cramped but what a lot of people with mobility scooters do is leave them outside.”

Mr Baker was spurred to speak out about the issues he has with Reynolds Way after reading about similar problems at Oxford’s recently revamped central library.

The building was given a £6m refurbishment as part of the Westgate Centre development but when Suzi Horsley, from Headington, attempted to visit the library over Christmas she found her wheelchair could not fit in the lifts which have not been updated in the project.

Speaking about the library, disability rights campaigner Pete Carter, from Littlemore, said access for disabled people is ‘always the last thing on anybody’s mind.’

The 64-year-old said: “It’s sad but it doesn’t surprise me.

“Unfortunately this sort of thing is typical for developments.

"Nobody thinks about us until the last minute.

“Every day of my life I face these sorts of problems, of being unable to access buildings or rely on strangers in order to get around.

“I’ve seen no improvements despite the increased awareness of the issue.”