Today Jim took a blindfold walk with Guide Dogs to find out more about the challenges faced by local people with sight loss.

Jim walked through Ely, accompanied by Pete Smith Service Delivery Manager.  He also met Kathy Bye and Bob Watson, who are guide dog owners living in the area to talk about some of the specific issues they face going out and about in Ely.

Blind and partially sighted people face obstacles and challenges blind and every day as they go out and about in our town centres. The hazards they face often include tables and chairs on pavements outside cafes, badly designed pedestrian crossings and poorly parked cars that block the pavement.

Fiona Wright, Mobility Team Manager said: “We’re extremely grateful to Mr Paice for taking part in this event and we hope he found the experience useful in understanding how difficult it can be to get around if you are visually impaired.”

Jim said: “ There is no doubt that it is extremely challenging for people who are blind and visually impaired to make their way around a busy city like Ely and I had a real sense of that under the blindfold.

“Although I know the city well and could picture where I was going, that is not always the case for people using a long cane or a guide dog and today was about raising awareness of the challenges they face.”