Media Release: The Accessible Guide to Truro is out now

 

The Accessible Guide to Truro brings together clear, carefully checked accessibility information about shops, cafés, venues and services across the city. It is designed to support residents and visitors in making informed choices when they stay, eat, visit and explore Truro.

 

Launched back in September to make the city of Truro more accessible and welcoming for everyone, the Access Truro project has been delivered in partnership by Truro BID and Access Cornwall CIC. It has been supported and co-designed by Councillor Steven Webb, former Mayor of Truro.

 

Access Truro has been funded through Cornwall Council’s Town Regeneration and Investment Programme, part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, and match funded by Truro City Council.

 

As part of the project, Access Truro has helped businesses take practical, achievable steps to improve access and inclusion for residents and visitors with disabilities, health conditions and neurodivergence.

 

The content of the Accessibility Guide to Truro, has been shaped following visits by Access Cornwall to 63 local Truro businesses where accessibility reviews of their business premises were completed.

 

In addition to the Guide and to improve customer experience and staff confidence, 93 local Truro businesses were supported with accessibility training.

 

Access Truro included Two Experience Truro Differently Days, where some leading decision-makers explored the city using simulated disabilities, including wheelchairs and vision impairment googles, to deepen understanding of real-world barriers.

 

During the Experience Truro Differently Days, leading local decision-makers took part, including Cllr Chris Wells the Mayor of Truro, Kate Kennally the CEO of Cornwall Council, Neil Edmond the CEO of Conserv, and Sean O’Neill the COO of Truro Cathedral. Through guided routes and lived-experience insight, participants gained greater empathy and practical understanding of the challenges many people can face navigating Truro.

 

The project has also funded several portable ramps which have been delivered to Truro businesses that offer Safe Spaces and accessible facilities, supporting safer and more inclusive access across the city centre.

 

Alun Jones, Truro BID Manager said: “Access Truro has shown what can be achieved when local partners work together with lived-experience leadership. The training and reviews have supported businesses to take positive steps, and the Experience Truro Differently Days have helped key decision-makers see first-hand how small barriers can have a big impact. The Accessible Guide to Truro is a legacy of the project, offering practical help to people planning visits to the city.”

 

Viki Carpenter, Founding Director of Access Cornwall said: “This work is rooted in lived experience. Our team and volunteers understand the difference that clear information, staff confidence, and simple practical changes can make. Access Truro has supported businesses to build inclusion into everyday customer service, while the guide gives people the information they need to feel confident and welcome when visiting Truro.”

 

Cllr Chris Wells, the Mayor of Truro said: “As I mention in the foreword to the new guide, using visual impairment goggles brought home both the small improvements that make a big difference and the barriers that still make everyday journeys difficult.  For example, the special paving adjacent to pedestrian crossings highlighted how important this feature is for those people with poor eyesight.  It was a humbling reminder that accessibility is not an abstract concept — it is about people’s real experiences, independence and sense of belonging.”

 

Cllr Steven Webb added about the Experience Truro Differently Day: “As a Cornwall Councillor and wheelchair user, I knew nothing beats real life experience. That is why I encouraged decision makers to navigate Truro using wheelchairs. It is a real eye opener to experience obstacles firsthand. A highways officer getting stuck on a dropped kerb, or a CEO navigating an overcrowded shop, will now stop and think differently when a disabled person raises an issue.”

 

The Accessible Guide to Truro is available to view online at: www.visittruro.org.uk/accessibility

 

Printed copies of the Accessible Guide to Truro are available in Truro City Centre from the Truro Visitor Information Centre on Boscawen St and Truro Community Library. 

 

Guides can also be picked up from Cornwall Mobility (North Buildings, behind Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall,TR1 3LQ), isight Cornwall (Newham Rd) and Ross Care Cornwall Wheel Chair Service (Heron Way, Newham). 

 

Truro BID will continue to encourage businesses to build on the progress made through Access Truro, helping to embed accessibility as a core part of a thriving city centre experience for everyone.