A COWDENBEATH man is appealing for help in compiling a record of disabled-friendly premises in Fife.

Peter Lockhart (pictured right), from the town's School Street, suffers from a muscular condition called fibromyalgia and needs to use a wheelchair to get about.

Now he wants to create a list of accessible public places in the Kingdom to help provide other disabled people with a definitive reference guide.

He told the Times, "After finding many problems over the years with access to I premises it occurred to me that there is no record or information about accessible pubs, cafes and restaurants in Fife.

"I have therefore decided to visit every pub, restaurant and cafe in Fife to assess how disabled friendly they are. I have made up forms which have various criteria I'll be looking for and will fill them in as I visit. I hope to then be able to produce a comprehensive list of all pubs suitable for disabled people to visit.

"I'm hoping to get Fife Council, MPs, MSPs and councillors on board. Helen Eadie MSP has already offered support, thanks to her."

Mr Lockhart's campaign coincides with a call from the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability, inviting local people across the UK to join a new campaign to make their town more accessible for disabled people.

A new interactive website, www.action-foraccess.org, gives visitors the advice and resources they need to test the accessibility of shops, services and transport in their local area.

Resources on the website include:

• A map of the UK that gives users the opportunity to share their findings and experiences about how accessible their local services are

• Template letters and guidelines for local campaigners to send to business managers with suggestions on how they can improve accessibility

• Information on what managers can do to make their business more accessible Despite legislation designed to prevent discrimination and improve access, disabled people continue to face barriers on a daily basis when carrying out everyday tasks such as shopping, visiting the cinema or using the bank or post office.

Recent research undertaken by Leonard Cheshire Disability found that two in five (40 per cent) disabled people have experienced difficulties accessing goods and services in the last 12 months, with around a quarter of all disabled people (23 per cent) directly identifying their experiences as discriminatory.

Amy Parker, campaigns officer at Leonard Cheshire Disability, said, "The impact of goods and services being inaccessible is more than just immediate inconvenience - it can contribute directly to  the chances of a disabled person being able to access education, employment or other opportunities.

"We encourage people to log on to our website and let us know how accessible their local shops and services are. The campaign provides all the resources for campaigners and businesses to work together to improve access for everyone. Anyone - from a disabled person, to a shopkeeper or elected representative - can get involved and take Action for Access."