Accessible Guide to Truro Now Available in Print and Online

The Accessible Guide to Truro is now available, offering free, clear accessibility information to help people with access needs plan visits around the city.

The guide follows the completion of the Access Truro project and is available both in print and online. It brings together carefully checked details about shops, cafés, venues and services across Truro, helping residents and visitors make informed choices when they stay, eat, visit and explore the city.

What the guide covers

The guide has been shaped by on-the-ground accessibility reviews carried out by Access Cornwall at 63 Truro businesses. These visits assessed real-world access to premises, ensuring the information included reflects lived experience rather than assumptions.

Alongside the guide, 93 local businesses received accessibility training aimed at improving customer experience and boosting staff confidence when supporting people with disabilities, health conditions and neurodivergence.

How Access Truro worked

Access Truro was launched in September 2025 to help make Truro more accessible and welcoming. The work was delivered in partnership by Truro BID and Access Cornwall CIC, with support and co-design from Councillor Steven Webb, former Mayor of Truro.

Funding came 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.

As part of the work, portable ramps were provided to Truro businesses offering Safe Spaces and accessible facilities, helping improve access across the city centre.

Experience Truro Differently Days

The project also included two Experience Truro Differently Days, where decision-makers explored the city using simulated disabilities such as wheelchairs and vision impairment goggles.

Participants included Chris Wells, Mayor of Truro, Kate Kennally, CEO of Cornwall Council, Neil Edmond, CEO of Conserv, and Sean O’Neill, COO of Truro Cathedral. Guided routes and lived-experience insight were used to highlight everyday barriers faced when navigating the city.

Alun Jones, Truro BID Manager, said the project showed what can be achieved when local partners work together with lived-experience leadership. He said the training and reviews helped businesses take positive steps, while the Experience Truro Differently Days allowed decision-makers to see how small barriers can have a big impact. He added that the Accessible Guide to Truro is a lasting outcome of the work, offering practical help to people planning visits to the city.

Viki Carpenter, Founding Director of Access Cornwall, said the work is rooted in lived experience. She said clear information, staff confidence and simple practical changes can make a real difference, helping people feel confident and welcome when visiting Truro.

Chris Wells said using visual impairment goggles highlighted both the improvements that make a difference and the barriers that still make everyday journeys difficult. He described it as a reminder that accessibility is about real experiences, independence and a sense of belonging.

Steven Webb said nothing replaces real-life experience, which is why decision-makers were encouraged to navigate Truro using wheelchairs. He said experiencing obstacles first-hand changes how issues raised by disabled people are viewed and understood.

Where to get the guide

The Accessible Guide to Truro can be viewed online via Visit Truro’s accessibility page.

Printed copies are available from the Truro Visitor Information Centre on Boscawen Street, Truro Community Library, Cornwall Mobility, isight Cornwall and Ross Care Cornwall Wheelchair Service.

Truro city centre businesses that would like copies to give to customers can contact Truro BID by emailing alun.jones@trurobid.co.uk.

Truro BID has confirmed it will continue encouraging businesses to build on the progress made through Access Truro, helping accessibility become a core part of the city centre experience.