A woman with cerebral palsy has spoken of her nightmare getting around Manchester's streets - and the horrific online abuse she suffered after raising the issue on Facebook. Katy Daly, who uses a powered wheelchair, spoke to the Manchester Evening News for a matter of minutes before coming across a typical issue - a car blocking the pavement and stopping her getting past safely.
"I'll have to find a dropped kerb and travel along the main road," she said. "It would take seconds for a car to not notice and hit me. And who would be put at fault? Me, for being on the road."
Katy, 26, from Chorlton, south Manchester, met with the M.E.N. on Barlow Moor Road near her home to highlight the problem of pavement parking and people leaving wheelie bins out. It makes life incredibly difficult for people using mobility scooters, wheelchairs and parents with prams, she said.
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"When you're disabled you have to be good at problem-solving every day," she added. "I'm used to getting around and critically thinking when travelling. When you face an obstacle you can't get around, it hits you."
Katy claims she's been told to 'just walk around cars' - despite the fact she can't stand up - and 'move the bins'.
"It's insulting, she said. I've had a wheelchair since I was three-years-old. I know how to deal with these situations. My limitations and what I'm capable of navigating. People behave as though they know better.
"You can't just go around the car and immediately get back up onto the kerb. I have to wait for a dropped kerb, which can lead to moving along a busy road for long periods of time. It's frightening."
Katy said she raised the issue on a local Facebook group in earlier this year - before being bombarded with disgusting comments. The M.E.N. has seen a series of awful comments aimed at her.
"I'd make everywhere inaccessible to you," one person wrote. Another said: "I'll run her over." Someone else called Katy 'mentally ill'. Another threatened to follow her home.
"I posted once, because I was completely stranded down Barlow Moor Road from pavement parking, not thinking I'd post again," she said.
"When I received a lot of backlash, I was shocked. This happens every day to me. I was told I was overreacting."
Despite the comments, Katy continues to post on social media when she faces problems. "I got a lot of hate, but thought 'I can do this'.
"It's obviously an issue as I received a lot of private messages from people supporting me. As long as people see the value in it, I'll keep doing it."
Earlier this year, Gorton MP Afzal Khan called on the government to give councils the power and resources to stop pavement parking. Only London councils currently have the power to issue penalty notices.
He told the Commons: "We know the difficulty pavement parking causes particularly for pedestrians, those with a disability, prams and people who are neurodivergent.
"We need the powers to tackle this issue, but, despite a promise for a review three years ago, the Tory government has done nothing in giving local authorities the power to make local decisions on this issue. Surely what is good enough for London is good enough for Manchester.
"Pavements are for people, not for cars. It's time for a default ban on pavement parking to make streets usable for people walking or wheeling, and create an environment that is for the many, not the few. That will mean more people on foot, on bikes and on public transport, fewer cars and healthier, cleaner air."
A petition with the backing of 30 Manchester councillors has also been submitted to the government.
A spokesperson for Manchester council said it 'takes concerns around pavement parking seriously and appreciates the frustration it can cause for all of the city's residents'.
"Where the Council is made aware of illegal parking it will use the powers it has to move on motorists, or prosecute when necessary with the assistance of our partners in GMP," a statement added.
"For several years the council has lobbied central government to grant local authorities expanded powers to prevent pavement parking, however to date the government has not responded to these calls."
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: "Everyone should be able to navigate their streets without obstacle and we’ll continue to work with local authorities and charities to keep pavements clear wherever possible. In 2020, we launched a consultation to explore options for tackling pavement parking and better equip councils to take action. We will publish the response and announce next steps as soon as possible."
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