A COUPLE who won’t let their disabilities hold them back are encouraging tourist operators to make the Dales more accessible.

Roy Emmerson, 48, and his fiancé Nicola Brown, from Wensleydale, both have disabilities but enjoy sailing and are members of the Disabled Ramblers.

Mr Emmerson, who uses a stick after suffering a stroke when he was 24, has set up a website to help people to make the most of life and encourage tourism businesses to better cater for people with disabilities.

He is organising an event on Tuesday, April 28, to take three veterans from the Help for Heroes-run Phoenix House recovery centre in Catterick Garrison on an outing to the Dales and show them how they can still enjoy the great outdoors.

He said: “I’m going to take the veterans to the Dales Bike Centre, in Fremington, near Reeth, then using a tramper – which is a cross between a mobility scooter and a quad bike, built for off-road use – to ride up Grinton Bank and across the moor on off-road tracks.

“It is a really great way to get out in the Dales – but more needs to be done to make it easier for disabled people to access them.”

Mr Emmerson said in the North West of England the trampers are available from councils, but they are not yet available from North Yorkshire County Council.

He said: “I’m trying to convince people there’s a need for them, and funding them is something I could only dream about at the moment, but if we can raise awareness then hopefully it might lead to funding.”

Ms Brown said the main problem with travelling around as a person with disabilities is that accommodation providers are rarely suitable for them.

She said: “Tourist operators need to think about people with disabilities and then it might not be so difficult for them to go on holiday in the Dales.”

The couple enjoy sailing and are members of Scaling Dam Sailing Club in the North York Moors – and are preparing to compete in the European Championships this summer.

Mr Emmerson said: “At present the Dales is being rendered a destination black spot for disabled people, or those with mobility problems, despite all the beauty it has to offer.

“And whatever aids disabled people ultimately assist parents with prams and buggies, and the elderly too.”

Mr Emmerson has been involved with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Access for All project, which aims to make more of the 2,000km of footpath routes good for use by disabled people - by replacing stiles with gates, and strengthening surfaces.

After recent work to create a circuit around Grimwith Reservoir, 12km are now accessible to wheelchair users and 127km to those able to walk with a stick.

Mr Emmerson is encouraging people to visit his website, http://www.brainfadetv.co.uk, to share experiences and find out how to become more active.