Traveling from Dublin to Galway was an absolute treat for me, being a certified nature enjoyer. From grassy hills, to the various farm animals dotted across them, the Barack Obama Plaza, and even through the stunning limestone mountains, there is much to behold and take pictures of. One of the most stunning, however, were the Cliffs of Moher, with its jagged face prominently featured as the Cliffs of Insanity in The Princess Bride. While the Cliffs of Moher on the west border of Ireland are objectively stunning for most travelers, there are a few issues with accessibility that I noticed while walking along them.
Before I get into the difficulties about accessibility, however, I’ll mention a few things that I noticed that they did well. For one, the visitor center seems quite accessible, and there are ramps all over the place, as well as a relatively accessible bathroom inside. While I did not have enough time to grab any food, there were level entrances to all of the shops inside the center.
The main issues people with disabilities might face while visiting the cliffs were those concerning mobility. For example, right before the visitor’s center, there are a few shops that require you to take a few steps down to enter them, which poses a delay for mobility impaired people to enter and view the products. I didn’t spot any ramps to the shops, although I am sure there are a few since Ireland must follow the guidelines set by the CRPD.
Even in the places where there are ramps, however, they are often steep and have no flat platforms to give people with mobility issues rests going up the slope. While there is a flat paved path next to the steps, it is not accessible in most places.
Even if a person with a mobility disability were to manage to make it up to the wall to peek over at the cliffs, however, the walls are high, and a person in a wheelchair may not be able to see over them without assistance. All in all, while the cliffs may be stunning and worth the trip for many people, those in wheelchairs or who have other mobility impairments may have an extremely hard time enjoying them to their full extent.
Thanks for reading,
–Francis Andersen
