Haringey Liberal Democrats have called for urgent action to tackle disability access in two of the borough’s libraries – Muswell Hill and Stroud Green. The call follows an accident involving a Mr Norton, a wheelchair bound resident who was trying to access Muswell Hill Library to attend a councillor’s surgery in December.

Cllr Ross Laird, whom Mr Norton was trying to see, contacted Haringey Council to find out how many accidents there had previously been and what action the Council proposed to take to improve disabled access. Lib Dem Councillors had complained over the past couple of years about the ramp which was built to improve disabled access at the library – but was built with steps, making it unusable to wheelchairs.

Cllr Laird commented:

“The accident at Muswell Hill Library was waiting to happen and while I am relieved that there is no record of previous accidents of this nature, it does still beg many questions – such as why the ramp, so obviously inadequate, was ever built; how many unreported incidents there has been; and how many people with disabilities are put off accessing the library due to inadequate disability access?

“There are only two libraries in Haringey where wheelchair access is very difficult, the other being Stroud Green Library. We owe the victim of this accident and all those who have a disability the provision of adequate wheelchair access to these libraries. For too long our libraries have been underfunded and the lack of money for capital works and repairs is now starting to be a serious risk not only to the buildings and stock, but to the very customers who use the facilities.”