Representatives from Hounslow Council recently joined London Sight Loss Councils for a guided walk through Hounslow Town Centre.
With 6,400 residents in Hounslow registered as blind or partially sighted, the Council aims to increase the accessibility of local streets and understand the challenges faced by people with visual impairments.
On Wednesday 15 October, representatives from Hounslow Council joined London Sight Loss Councils for a guided walk through Hounslow Town Centre, wearing ‘sim-specs’ – special glasses that mimic different types of sight loss. The walk gave a first-hand insight into the daily challenges faced by residents with visual impairments.
The session began with an introduction to different types of visual impairment, inclusive design principles and sighted-guide techniques. Councillor Dunne, Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport joined staff members from transport, planning, licensing, highways and equalities teams at Hounslow Council - encountering a range of real-world obstacles and scenarios – from market stalls and street furniture to cycle lanes and informal crossings.
The aim was to capture insights that can feed into the Council’s planning, licensing, infrastructure and maintenance practices.
Cllr Dunne with Hounslow Council staff and residents
Councillor Katherine Dunne said:
Walking in someone else’s shoes was a powerful reminder of how small details make a big difference. This session has reinforced why inclusive design is not optional, but essential. We will use what we have learned to improve how we plan, design and manage our streets.
We would like to thank the staff and volunteers at Thomas Pocklington Trust and London Sight Loss Council for the insightful workshop, and we look forward to delivering a borough that is safer and more accessible for all.
Sight Loss Councils, funded by Thomas Pocklington Trust, are regional groups led by blind and partially sighted volunteers. Together, they use their lived experience to shape inclusive services, influence decisions and ensure accessibility in local communities.
Councillor Ajmer Grewal, Cabinet Member for Residents Support, Communities and Equalities, added:
Our equalities networks have long championed involving lived experience: this walk brings that to life. Along with feedback from residents affected, we will work with London Sight Loss Council to shape Hounslow’s streets, so they work for everyone.
Insights from the walk are already shaping improvements at Hounslow Council, this includes:
- Designing more accessible EV charging, e-bike and kerbside layouts.
- Making street furniture, paving and signage safer and easier to navigate.
- Improving licensing, road safety and maintenance through inclusive design.
Amrit Dhaliwal, Hounslow resident and Sight Loss Councils volunteer, said:
As a blind resident, I want the pavements to be as clutter free as possible so that I can walk more freely - whether I am being guided or not. I want to be independent, but more importantly I want to feel safe when out in my community.
I hope that by taking part in the sim-spec walk, the attendees will have experienced first-hand, some of the many barriers we face in accessing our high street. I hope that they will use this learning to make Hounslow more accessible for blind and partially sighted residents.
The walk supports the Council’s existing commitments around accessibility, set out in its Transport Strategy and Walking and Wheeling Action Plan, including the Pavement Pledge programme, which began in July 2025 and is working to improve 20 footways across the borough. The programme aims to provide residents with safer and more accessible routes. It also builds on the Council’s ongoing work with local equalities networks including the Disability and Age Equality Partnership, whose members participated in a mobility focused audit in 2024.
