The council’s new seats in Chapel Market

OUTDOOR seating installed in Chapel Market has been criticised by disability campaigners for failing to meet the needs of disabled people.

A cheerful social media post from Islington Council announcing the arrival of the six new chairs fixed into the road was met with a storm of criticism.

While many trolled the aesthetic of the seats, campaign group Disability Action in Islington commented: “Shame they’re not inclusive and accessible and that the needs of Islington’s disabled residents and visitors were not considered.”

Guidance by charity Wheels for Wellbeing shows that public seating should be provided at a range of different heights to cater to as many people as possible, and that not all seating should have handrails, to enable someone to be moved to the seat from a wheelchair.

The organisation also specifies that public seating should have a “tapping rail”, a rail between the seat and the ground so they can be detected by cane users.

Disability Action in Islington manager Ali F Jabeen told the Tribune: “It’s not really ok to spend loads of money on public facilities that then cannot be used by the people who probably need it most.”

An Islington Council spokesperson said: “The new seating is a small part of the redevelop­ment project to improve the market’s facilities. The layout was intended to create a sociable area that can include wheel­chair users.

“The feedback about the accessi­bility of the chairs is valuable and we would be happy to meet with Disability Action in Islington to discuss their concerns.”