Wheelchair user’s independence taken away by inaccessible pathways

Reliant on his wheelchair to get around, Garth Brimelow said his independence is being taken away by a lack of council enforcement and dodgy pathways.

Kirwan resident Garth Brielow is frustrated that he can't get around town in his wheelchair because of cars parked on footpaths and broken pavers everywhere. Picture: Evan Morgan

Reliant on his wheelchair to get around, Garth Brimelow said his independence was being taken away by a lack of council enforcement and dodgy pathways.

Mr Brimelow, who has been a paraplegic from his T11 in his lower back down since 2000, said he’d “had it up to his ears” with the lack of maintenance of the city’s footpaths.

Even more dangerous was the amount of cars he has to manoeuvre around because of being illegally parked, he said.

Kirwan resident Garth Brielow is frustrated. Picture: Evan Morgan

“It’s an obstacle to get in front of the parked car and around it, and it’s dangerous going up against oncoming traffic, so you either have to wait or take the gauntlet and risk being hit,” Mr Brimelow said.

“Some of the driveways have a lip of two inches and if I hit that the wrong way it can flip me out but if I’m carrying something on my person or on the back of my chair the weight of that will tip me over completely.”

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Mr Brimelow said this wasn’t an issue that affected only him and wanted to see it fixed immediately through tougher enforcement by council in issuing parking fines.

“I’m thinking of the elderly that are walking along with their little wheely walkers, little kids on push bikes – this is a community wide issue.

“Every time I leave my house I have to think this through, it’s a bugbear of mine and it needs to be fixed.

Kirwan resident Garth Brielow is frustrated that he can't get around town in his wheelchair because of cars parked on footpaths and broken pavers everywhere. Picture: Evan Morgan

“My wheel hangers got caught on the road on Nathan St and I was stuck, it was just thanks to a truck driver who stopped the traffic and helped me.”

Mr Brimelow said the poor state of footpaths was another issue that was impacting his ability to hold on to his independence and travel around the city. “And don’t even get me started on the pavers that are broken all over the place, there’s some that look like a pyramid because of the roots that have lifted below them,” he said.

“It’s no good coming along and spray painting a triangle around the issue, just bloody fix it.

“What am I supposed to do in a wheelchair?”

Townsville City Council did not respond by deadline.

Originally published as Wheelchair user’s independence taken away by inaccessible pathways