A DISABLED woman has spoken of the challenges she faces in her daily life in a bid to help improve services for vulnerable people.

Louise Townson, 48, who has learning difficulties, is registered blind and has mobility problems, told health and council chiefs about some of her experiences at a county council meeting.

Her comments came as Healthwatch Cumbria presented a report intended to make it easier for people with physical and learning to live fulfilling lives.

The Harraby woman is given 3.5 hours twice week with a support worker in which she is expected to do all leisure activities and shopping.

The system means she is forced to bank up hours by forgoing support sessions if she wants to go away for the day, but she is only allowed to accumulate one session per week.

She also told the Health and Wellbeing Board about the challenges of public transport.

She said: “I went on the bus and it takes me a bit of time to get off. People are clambering on the bus and nearly knocking me flying so that they can get on rather than let me get off.

“On my return journey – all of this happened on the same day – I gave my pass to the bus driver and told her where I wanted to go. The lady threw the bus pass back at me into the little tray but because I’m registered blind I didn’t see that she had done that. It was the support worker who spotted it.”

Details emerged as part of HWC’s project ‘Everyone has a Voice – What does a good life look like?’

HWC sought the views of more than 540 people, including people with learning difficulties, parent and carers, social workers, commissioners and service providers.

Sue Stevenson, chief operating officer of Healthwatch Cumbria, accepted that there were budget challenges facing the council.

But she added: “The key question that emerged was ‘Are we providing services that allow people to have a good life or is it simply good enough?’ And none of us should be really satisfied with good enough.”

Many of those consulted have spoken of a lack of control and choice in decisions that affect them as well as about barriers to finding jobs.

Ms Townson said: “I think a lot of the time when services are being designed, people are just making assumptions about what people’s needs actually are when it’s simple: just ask the people what they want.”