A vision-impaired teacher in southern New South Wales is calling for a national approach to pedestrian safety after a crossing he needs to access became so faded his service animal could not recognise it.
Key points:
A vision-impaired teacher says a lack of well-maintained pedestrian crossings in his region is a threat to his safety
He says fading road markings mean his service dog Woody is unable to recognise crossings
- Advocates are calling for a national approach to make public spaces more accessible for people without full sight
Gary Morton said the condition of the crossing in Wagga Wagga's CBD meant he was unable to cross the road and took his concerns to the local council.
"I need that crossing," Mr Morton said.
"All I'm asking is for the same right to exist for us."
Mr Morton lives in Gundagai, but works as a teacher in Wagga Wagga, relying on his service animal, Woody, to get around.
He said public spaces needed to be safer and more accessible for people without full sight.
"It comes to how a person either with complete vision loss or with impairment, is legally blind is going to cross the road," he said.
In a written statement, the Wagga Wagga City Council said it was planning to repaint several zebra crossings in the city's CBD.
"Council is planning to carry out this work in 2023/2024 financial year, but we do not have a start date at this stage," it said.
National standard
Pedestrian crossings are not specifically covered by the Disability Discrimination Act or its standards.
Mr Morton said there needed to be a national approach to the standard of road crossings.
"It is a universal need that a vision impaired person has the right to cross the road safely," he said.
In his hometown of Gundagai, the council recently removed controlled crossings in the CBD with pedestrian refuges, which he said were also dangerous for vision impaired people.
"It still requires sight," he said.
"That crossing is not requiring the driver under law to stop and give way.
"We're meant to be giving way.
"I ask the public how's that going to happen if I don't have sight?"
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Mayor Charlie Sheehan said there were concerns addressed ahead of the upgrades.
"The design was put on the table for the community to be discussed before the upgrade of the street was done," he said
"We've acknowledged the concerns of the community; we have reduced the speed limit on Sheridan Street and introduced a 40km/h shared zone."
Common experience
Blind Citizens Australia representative Jackson Reynolds-Ryan said Mr Morton's experience was common.
"I'm not surprised by this, but it is disappointing," he said.
"There's a responsibility for, whether it's Transport for NSW, or the local council or the two of them working together, someone needs to make sure … that the community is safe."
Mr Reynolds-Ryan said there should be an easier process for people in a similar position to Mr Morton to take action when crossings were not good enough.
In a written statement, Transport for NSW said marked pedestrian crossings reduced crashes by roughly 10 per cent.
"The installation of a raised pedestrian crossing will reduce pedestrian crashes by approximately 50 per cent," it said.