A MAN confined to a wheelchair following a stroke says he feels like a "traffic calming measure" because he is constantly being forced to ride his wheelchair in the roads.

Keith Dixon says he has nearly been run over several times but claims nobody cares or takes responsibility for matters affecting disabled people in Wyre Forest.

The former chartered accountant and management consultant founded Disability Action Group (Wyre Forest) around four years ago and is a tireless campaigner for disabled people's rights.

In particular, he wants to see a change in the way society perceives social problems facing wheelchair users - claiming many able-bodied people are "blinkered" to the difficulties of adapting to life in a wheelchair.

He is also a member of the Disabled People's Parliament and is currently lobbying for Wyre Forest District Council to appoint a disabled access officer, who he hopes will be someone who can point out when disabled people in the district have problems.

For good measure, he is also involved with North Worcestershire DIAL, Worcestershire Lifestyles and Disability West Midlands and was nicknamed "the man with the golden pen" by one of the many people he helped to fill in forms enabling him to receive the benefits he was entitled to.

Mr Dixon said: "I happen to be someone in a wheelchair with some mental capacity and I feel a responsibility to represent all those poor people who can't help themselves and go and fight for them.

"I am writing letters or going to meetings all the time. I have a fatigue situation but, within my limitations, I'm pretty well full-time trying to change the world."

The 60-year-old, who was able-bodied until he suffered a stroke following an operation to remove a birth defect 10 years ago, added he could not ride his wheelchair along the pavement on Wood Street where he lives because it is often congested with wheelie bins.

He is also regularly forced into the road by cambers and the lack of dropped kerbs on pavements in other parts of the town, he added.

"I've nearly been run over a few times but the difficulty is that no-one seems to be interested in disability matters," he said.

"It's difficult to know who to contact because we don't have an access officer and no-one seems to take responsibility.

"I sometimes think I'm a traffic calming exercise - me going along the road, slowing everything down, because I can't get on the pavement."

He added: "Society has been through changes with racism and sexism and it has grown into a more caring society but there is still a disability problem that people don't really look at ways of solving. I don't want to fight - I want to encourage people with closed minds to change."

Councillor Stephen Clee, leader of Wyre Forest District Council, responded to Mr Dixon's comments by saying the possible appointment of a part-time access officer was being considered as part of the budget process.

"We want to make our services as accessible as possible to everyone and we are already looking into the possibility of appointing an access officer on a part-time basis," he said.

"Part of the role would be giving advice and information about the Disability Discrimination Act.

"If Mr Dixon or anyone with a disability has a suggestion or complaint with regard to council services or buildings I would welcome their comments."

Mr Clee can be contacted by calling 01562 732749.