A Tavistock resident has been opening doors with her campaign to increase accessibility to shops for people with mobility difficulties.

Tina Willcocks, of Tavistock, has launched a successful sticker campaign to highlight shops providing mobility access after finding many of the town’s high street businesses appeared effectively closed to her in her wheelchair.

The circular blue sticker denotes the presence of a ramp or of staff ‘happy to help’ customers with extra mobility needs.

Tina, who is confined to a wheelchair due to a lifelong spinal issue, said:”My stickers are proving very popular with businesses and I’m hoping the whole town centre will eventually take them up.

“Up to now I’ve been the sort of person who doesn’t want to cause a fuss by asking for help in going into a shop or any other business. If there isn’t a ramp, it’s sometimes difficult to get the attention of staff to ask if I can get in with my wheelchair somehow. It’s not easy to knock on the window and say you’d like to come in and have they got a ramp or can staff help me in some other way, if staff are busy, for instance.

“But if shops agree to have a sticker, it indicates to people like me or others who have other mobility problems that there is a movable ramp available. The very presence of a sticker gives me confidence to ask for help, knowing it is available and I’m not annoying people or wasting my time.”

Tina, who was diagnosed with a spinal tumour at the age of 14, then developed a degenerative spine, was inspired by the introduction of ‘dogs welcome’ stickers: “If there can be access made easier for dog owners, why not humans?”

Dotty King, who owns and runs Dot's Teas and Wholefoods in the outer pannier market, is pleased to have one of Tina’s access stickers on her shop window which reflects her long-term strategy to provide access to all, within the limits of her shop’s size and the building’s age.

She said: “When we opened the shop five years ago we were really keen to ensure we were and remain accessible to all.

“We knocked out the corner of the shop to square it up, took out a big table from the middle and invited friends and previous customers to come in and test out their wheelchairs, walking frames, pushchairs and rucksacks – rucksacks take up a lot of 'swing' room. This ensured that these customer can come in and shop/browse freely.

“Larger motorised chairs are not able to get into the shop but we have always served from the door - this extends to our customers with doggies.

“Partially-sighted customers are also welcome and helped with labelling and finding products.”

Julie Cooper, Left Organic Beauty and Wellbeing manager, has a sticker: “People of all levels of mobility should have the confidence to come in and able to browse. The stickers are a fabulous idea for traders and customers.”

Anyone wishing to place an accessibility sticker on their business window or door can contact Tina Wilcocks by email: [email protected]

Tina Willcocks, of Tavistock, has launched a successful sticker campaign to highlight shops with mobility access.
Tina Willcocks, of Tavistock, has launched a successful sticker campaign to highlight shops with mobility access. (Iliffe Media)
Tina Willcocks, of Tavistock, has launched a successful sticker campaign to highlight shops with mobility access. She is pictured outside Dot's Health Foods with Phil King.
Tina Willcocks outside Dot's Teas and Wholefoods, bearing one her access stickers, with proprietor Phil King. (Iliffe Media)