Ilkley campaigns stage blindfold walk to call for better enforcement over A-board rules

Campaigners have taken to the streets of a West Yorkshire spa town to call on the council to better enforce its own policies over the use of advertising boards.

These adverts, known as A-boards, have long made it difficult for people with sight loss to navigate pavements, the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has argued, preventing them from being able to walk in a straight line.

In Ilkley, as across Bradford, their use has been banned since rules were brought in back in 2018, but campaigners staged a blindfold walk on Saturday to call for this to be better acted upon.

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Guide dog user Stuart Ross and Maqsood Sheikh, RNIB’s regional campaigns officer for Yorkshire, were joined by Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore.

Guide dog user, Stuart Ross, and Maqsood Sheikh, RNIB's Regional Campaigns Officer for Yorkshire and Humber were joined by Robbie Moore, Keighley and Ilkley MP. Mark Bickerdike PhotographyGuide dog user, Stuart Ross, and Maqsood Sheikh, RNIB's Regional Campaigns Officer for Yorkshire and Humber were joined by Robbie Moore, Keighley and Ilkley MP. Mark Bickerdike Photography
Guide dog user, Stuart Ross, and Maqsood Sheikh, RNIB's Regional Campaigns Officer for Yorkshire and Humber were joined by Robbie Moore, Keighley and Ilkley MP. Mark Bickerdike Photography
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The RNIB, in campaigns, argues A-boards are an obstruction, preventing people from walking in a straight line, and can prove a trip hazard to people who cannot see them or use mobility aids.

Bradford Council agreed to ban their use across the district nearly four years ago. Two years ago, it revealed some 400 businesses had already been warned, with six ‘persistent offenders’ seeing boards removed by the authority’s officers. Engineers said most businesses just needed a gentle reminder, but admitted that taking court action could prove costly.

The aim of Saturday’s blindfold walk was to raise the issue again, urging the council to better enforce its policies.

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