Who's behind the campaign

I’m Claudia, a Hackney resident living near Stoke Newington Common who enjoys spending time on our local high streets. As a wheelchair user, I’ve noticed how many shops, cafés, and pubs are almost accessible - but not quite. Often, it’s not even a step that stops people from getting in, just the door frame creating a threshold of a couple of inches.

When I talk to shop owners, I’ve found that most are friendly and open to making their businesses accessible, especially once they realise how simple and inexpensive the fix can be. Of course, not every building can be changed easily, and some improvements cost more than small businesses can manage. Most of the time though, it’s just a matter of not having thought about wheelchair users.

But it can feel slow to move things forward one conversation at a time. To build some momentum, I started this campaign: to raise awareness, make the easy fixes happen, and take it from there.

I’ve set myself a goal to improve accessibility along Stoke Newington Church Street as much as possible, to see what can be achieved, and then use what I learn to inspire other high streets to do the same.

This campaign is about turning awareness into action and making accessibility part of everyday thinking. A few small changes can literally open doors and make our streets friendlier and welcoming for everyone.