Hi, I'm planning a trip to west and south Ireland with relatives and friends, one of whom is a wheelchair-user. I have a question that might be better answered by other disabled people, but responses from the non-disabled are welcome to! Do most of the major cities and towns in Ireland have streets with curb cuts in them? Compared to the United States and other countries in Europe, how easy or difficult would it be for a wheelchair user to get around major cities in Ireland, such as Galway, Dingle, Cork, and Limerick? We know from our last trip that Dublin does have ramps and curb cuts for wheelchair users, but I'm wondering about other parts of the country as well. Thank you!
Posted by
Boston, MA, United States
1806 posts
For the most part, the major cities are better equipped with curb cuts - but they still aren't really up to par with what you are used to in the United States. In other parts of Ireland, it's really hit or miss. In a lot of small villages the ground is really uneven - lots of cobblestone, brick, sidewalks missing altogether in sections, no curb cuts.
Google Maps now has "street view" for many parts of Ireland if you want to personally have a look at how accessible your proposed destination is before you get there.
Posted by
OP
USA
69 posts
I used Google Maps' Street View of Ireland. It was very helpful! Thanks for the brilliant suggestion. I took a virtual tour of some of the places we're going to in Ireland and they look manageable.
Posted by
Green Bay, WI, USA
21 posts
I didn't notice curb cuts, but in a lot of the towns we were in, the curbs seemed a lot lower than they are here (I think it's because cars need to park on top of them so often). Also, just an FYI - Dingle is not a major city by any means. The sheep outnumber the people. :)