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Amputee calls for better access in public spaces

BBC A man with swept back black hair in a green and yellow Northampton Saints shirt, sits in a wheelchair holding a crutch looking up at the camera.BBC
Phil Grisewood said being disabled could be isolating and "draw you into your shell"

A man who lost a leg to cancer is campaigning for better signage and information about access to public buildings.

Phil Grisewood, from Daventry in Northamptonshire, is learning how to walk again after his leg was amputated below the knee earlier this year.

Mr Grisewood, who is now adjusting to life with a prosthetic leg, described his shock at the "loss of his independence", finding himself unable to perform simple tasks such as opening the front door.

He would like to see a traffic light system in all publicly accessible buildings to help people determine whether they are easily accessible.

Phil Grisewood A man in a charcoal grey quarter zip top sits in a chair in a hospital. There are pieces of medical equipment surrounding him. Phil Grisewood
Mr Grisewood has named his crutch Lennie after former Northampton Saints prop Lennie Newman

The latest government figures showed an estimated 16.1 million people in the UK - 24% of the population - had a disability.

Mr Grisewood admitted he previously had "no interest" in accessibility issues but now wanted to raise awareness about the barriers people face.

The former rugby coach said: "I am now a champion for disability rights.

"There isn't a single, comprehensive, source of information where people can look up a building and find out how people with a range of different impairments rate it for its ease of access."

He said he wanted to see more "upfront information" to change that.

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