We are proud in Ropley to have replaced 38 stiles with kissing or other gates, making our wonderful network of footpaths more accessible to those who find negotiating a stile difficult.
However, a recent visit to Ropley by two wheelchair users was a real eye-opener and has made us ask: what do we mean by making a footpath accessible?
Making a footpath ‘accessible’ means different things to different people.
The work we have completed so far helps those people who can walk but cannot climb over a stile or carry their dog over a stile. Replacing stiles with gates allows them to access the countryside more easily.
Replacing stiles with gates is a positive start in improving access for wheelchair users, but it is only the first step. People with all-terrain wheelchairs will find uneven terrain easier than those in a standard wheelchair, but both face more obstacles than someone walking, whether it is a steep verge, a narrow path or steps.
Our two wheelchair users tested out some of the gates that we have installed. One individual was being pushed and the other was using a power chair, operated using a joystick for greater independence. We discovered that opening a kissing gate or a standard gate that only opens one way presents challenges for an independent wheelchair user.
One of the initial obstacles faced by disabled people is the financial barrier caused by the cost of an all-terrain wheelchair which provides far better safety and access to open countryside than a standard wheelchair.
So, accessibility is not just about getting rid of stiles for wheelchair users, and we are very aware that many of our footpaths (which are across fields) are not accessible for them. The next step in our plan is to work with wheelchair users to learn more about the barriers they face and use this knowledge to develop routes that are suitable for them.
Link to BBC South news article
Catherine Mitchell, parish councillor, Ropley Parish Council
June 2026