RNIB Scotland welcomes Edinburgh advertising boards ban

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland has welcomed Edinburgh City Council’s decision to ban advertising boards (A-boards) from the streets of Scotland’s capital.

Street items such as A-boards, bollards and bins can deter blind and partially sighted people from walking outside, the charity explained.

Chair of RNIB Scotland, Sandra Wilson (pictured), said that the decision makes Edinburgh’s streets safer and more inclusive for residents and visitors with disabilities.

“A third of blind and partially sighted people surveyed by RNIB said they had been injured by pavement clutter when walking outside. Some felt so intimidated they ended up staying isolated in their homes. This is surely unacceptable,” Ms Wilson explained.

“A-boards are a particular hazard. They appear without warning, there’s no consistency on where they’re placed, then you walk into them, either hurting or injuring yourself or ending up with a bill for the dry cleaner or the garment repairer. Not a very good recommendation for whatever’s being advertised,” she added.

RNIB Scotland is also calling on the Scottish Government to strengthen existing legislation, which makes it an offence to wilfully obstruct free passage along the road.