I had no idea how inaccessible urban Britain is – until I faced it in a wheelchair

‘In London, only one third of London Underground stations are wheelchair friendly.’ Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

As global populations age, the question of how our cities are designed and built to accommodate all abilities is a pertinent one. Last week, transport officials proposed an array of measures to make British towns and cities more accessible to a modern population. Allowing people extra time to cross the road at traffic lights, and improved visibility of street signs, were some of the ideas put forward by Active Travel England (ATE) – a welcome first step in the right direction.

By 2050, the UN has predicted that two-thirds of the global population will live in cities. But we know they are not designed for everybody. Indeed, in my experience, many of the features of our urban planning are actively exclusionary – even ableist.