WHERE I would agree with Mr Hodgson regarding the benefits of the recent changes to the layout of the centre of Cirencester (Letter May 18),

I feel his comments regarding disabled drivers and parking in Cricklade Street shows little, if any, empathy towards people and their carers who live with a physical disability.

My husband had Motor Neurone Disease and it would take an average of around two and a half hours to get him bathed, dressed and breakfasted after which he and myself were exhausted and we both would need time to rest and recover. 

If I followed Mr Hodgson’s advice, to legally park outside a shop in Cricklade Street at 9am, we would have to have started our day around 5.30am! 

The other option of parking after 4.30pm would have been out of the question as by this time the little energy my husband had would be exhausted and he would have found it too much of an upheaval to consider going out anywhere that late in the day.

The council have worked hard to make out town more disabled friendly with the lowering of curbs allowing disabled people their right to go where they wish to go and I would argue that people with any disability also have the right to go shopping at any normal time of the day. 

If we are the caring community that we seek to be, then shouldn’t we be able to accommodate those people unfortunate enough to have a disability to contend with?

Who knows what each of us may have to face in the future?

MRS SHIRLEY A WEAVING
Cirencester