A blind campaigner and guide dog owner told the BBC she does not ever feel completely safe independently navigating a city centre’s pavements due to bad parking.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) external said 61% of the people it surveyed reported that they were unable to make all the journeys they wanted to, with 82% saying vehicles parked on pavements was a big barrier.
Bernie Reddington, RNIB regional campaigns officer, told the BBC other barriers to getting around Norwich included poorly ridden e-scooters and a lack of pedestrian crossings.
She said: “I don’t think I would come out into the city centre if I was using a cane unless I had someone with me, and that takes away my independence.”
The BBC said Ms Reddington faces a number of challenges when navigating round a bustling city centre, including cars or lorries parked on pavements.
She said: “It’s selfishness on the part of people who do it. It’s not just me, it’s people using a wheelchair, people with a pushchair, people with mobility aids — having to walk in the road is unsafe.
“It’s not acceptable; it’s just so stressful… crossing the road again means going in an unknown area.”
Ms Reddington added that an increasing challenge includes abandoned e-bikes or e-scooters on the pavement or the manner of people riding them.
She said: “E-scooters and bikes just whizzing past you on areas where there’s no dedicated space for pedestrians or cyclists and that’s actually really, really difficult because you don’t ever feel completely safe.”
The BBC reported that Ms Reddington relies on her guide dog Clara, but she added that without her, walking around with a stick was “very, very scary”.
Loud music is also another barrier which can leave her feeling “disorientated” and unable to hear her surroundings, she added.
The RNIB said 11% of people who had been injured by a street obstacle in the past three months had injuries that required hospital treatment, including for broken bones or teeth.
Erik Matthies, RNIB policy lead, said: “Streets across the UK have transformed significantly in recent years, with new pavement dining areas, more cycle lanes, e-scooters and silent electric vehicles becoming commonplace.
“Yet, while technology and public understanding have advanced in many areas, blind and partially sighted people are now facing more barriers in the street environment than ever before.”