Discover the new Accessible Guide to Truro

    The Accessible Guide to Truro

    We are delighted to share that the Accessible Guide to Truro is now available, marking a major milestone for the Access Truro project and a positive step forward for accessibility and inclusion across Cornwall’s county city.

     

     

    This new guide brings together clear, carefully checked accessibility information about shops, cafés, venues, and services across Truro. It has been designed to support both residents and visitors with access needs, helping people plan visits with confidence and make informed choices about where they stay, eat, shop, and explore.

     

    You can also see the guide and learn more about accessibility in Truro on the Visit Truro website.

     

    About the project 

    The guide is the result of a city-wide partnership between Access Cornwall CIC and Truro BID, supported and co-designed by Councillor Steven Webb, former Mayor of Truro. The project was funded through Cornwall Council’s Town Regeneration and Investment Programme, part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, with match funding from Truro City Council.

    At the heart of this work is lived experience. Our team at Access Cornwall visited 63 local businesses to carry out in-person accessibility reviews of their premises. These visits shaped the content of the guide, ensuring that the information reflects real-world access features, practical considerations, and everyday barriers that disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, and neurodivergent visitors often face.

    In addition to producing the guide, the Access Truro project supported 93 businesses with accessibility training. This training focused on building staff confidence, improving customer experience, and helping businesses take achievable, practical steps toward becoming more inclusive. For many businesses, these changes were small but meaningful – from clearer signage and improved layouts to better communication and customer service awareness.

     

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    Experiencing Truro differently

    A particularly impactful part of the project was the delivery of two “Experience Truro Differently Days.” During these events, local decision-makers explored the city using simulated disabilities, including wheelchairs and vision impairment goggles. Participants included Chris Wells, Mayor of Truro; Kate Kennally, CEO of Truro City Council; Neil Edmond, CEO of Conserv; and Sean O’Neill, COO of Truro Cathedral.

    Through guided routes and lived-experience insight, these leaders gained a deeper understanding of the real-world challenges many people face when navigating Truro. These days created space for empathy, reflection, and practical learning, highlighting how small barriers – such as a single step or unclear signage – can have a big impact on someone’s ability to participate in city life.

    The project has also funded several portable ramps, which have been delivered to Truro businesses offering Safe Spaces. These ramps are helping to improve physical access across the city centre and support safer, more inclusive environments for customers.

     

    As our Founding Director, Viki Carpenter, explains:

    “Our team of staff and volunteers all live with disabilities or neurodivergence and we understand the difference that clear information and simple practical changes can make. Obviously Truro is a city with lots of history, and with that comes cobbled streets and other access challenges,  but this project aims to be the start of ongoing changes that put accessibility in the minds of decision makers when they are carrying out works and making changes. At this stage, Access Truro has supported businesses to build inclusion into everyday customer service, while the guide gives people the information they need to feel confident and welcome when visiting Truro.”

     

    The Accessible Guide to Truro is available free online and in print. Printed copies can be picked up from:

    • Truro Visitor Information Centre (Boscawen Street)
    • Truro Community Library
    • iSight Cornwall (Newham Road)
    • Cornwall Mobility (North Buildings, behind the Royal Cornwall Hospital)

    We are proud of what has been achieved through Access Truro and grateful to all the partners, businesses, volunteers, and decision-makers who contributed to this work. Accessibility is not a one-off project; it is an ongoing commitment. We hope this guide will not only support people planning visits to Truro but also encourage more businesses and organisations to continue building inclusion into everyday practice.

     

    We welcome feedback and expressions of interest from anyone who is keen to work with us in future accessibility projects in Truro and other areas around Cornwall. Message us at hello@accesscornwall.org.uk or call us 01326 350805.

    Together, we can help make Cornwall a place where everyone feels welcome.

     

    This project was part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  The funding was allocated through Cornwall Council’s Town Regeneration and Investment Programme, which is part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme. The project was also match funded by Truro City Council.