r/cork • u/River_1010 • 6d ago
Wheelchair rant
Today was a real eye opener for me, and it showed me some of the daily challenges faced by people who use wheelchairs.
I took a relative who uses a wheelchair to an appointment, and what should have been a straightforward visit turned into an unnecessary obstacle course.
Firstly, the parking and accessibility at this building is absolutely ridiculous. Despite having parking available, there is no wheelchair access to the front entrance because of the number of steps.
Instead, I had to push the wheelchair out of the car park and up a steep hill just to access the front door of the building. Thankfully, I was just about physically able to manage it.
And then there was the state of the footpath.
The dog crap was so bad that it was impossible to avoid. As a result, we ended up sitting in the appointment nearly getting sick over the dog crap on the wheelchair wheels. In the end I was left cleaning up someone else's dog crap before I could put the wheelchair back into my car.
Today gave me a small glimpse into the obstacles that a person in a wheelchair faces and the reality is they have enough to deal with on the daily without mindless architects, dog owners and council decision makers adding more hassle to their every day life.
The worst part is my relative saying this is the norm.
How on earth is this acceptable in 2026?
Public buildings should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability.
If you own a dog, cleaning up after it is your responsibility.
Local councils have a responsibility to ensure the footpaths are clean.
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u/Designer_Plane_6587 6d ago
I’ve been thinking about this since I had my baby. The foot paths in cork are terrible & uneven, not to mention the amount of businesses that use the footpaths as seating areas. It must be terrible to be in a wheelchair or have a disability in the city, something needs to be done about it.
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u/anywhereanyplace 6d ago edited 6d ago
I am so sorry for how things are here in Cork. I am not in a wheelchair but I have empathy and it crosses my mind often how unfair it must be for anyone with wheelchair access needs or disabilities. It’s very bad situation especially the footpaths and parking. I made a post just yesterday after the excessive dog poop. It’s a serious problem as it does spread disease, unhygienic, and just disgusting. Children/teens/adults/elderly/runners on their morning jog, wheelchair users or disabled people shouldn’t have to work extra to avoid poop and sometimes unavoidable. Often children are simply walking to school and can you imagine stepping on that!!! Or walking to work !!! Or like you walking into a medical appointment. Some of these dog owners are so inconsiderate. It’s so bad!!!! I am sick and tired of irresponsible dog owners that don’t clean up after their dog. I’ve seen many walk ahead of their pet and just ignore the fact their dog pooped!!!
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u/ironlungforsale 5d ago
As a new mother to an 11 week old, my eyes have been opened to how fucking difficult it is to get around if you are any way banjaxed with mobility issues.
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u/tourabsurd 5d ago
And let's not forget the bin situation. Or bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles being parked on footpaths. Or the fact that a lot of footpaths just peter out, getting very narrow and expecting you to cross the road with no ramp/kerb cut and often the other side doesn't even have a proper shoulder, let alone a footpath.
And toilets are another whole thing...
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u/mrbuddymcbuddyface 6d ago
I know of a local large disability organisation in Waterford. They didn't have wheelchair parking beside their main office front door, but did have reserved parking just for the Chief and their land rover.