It is intended to establish a Dundee Accessibility Group, whose role will be to prepare an action plan to remove barriers that deny people with disabilities the same opportunities as everyone else to make use of the city’s facilities.

The group would look at all aspects of the difficulties people with impaired mobility encounter in getting around the city, including problems with pavements and possible improvements to help them use public transport.

Planning and transportation director Mike Galloway, in a report to councillors, said most town and city centres were established many years before detailed consideration was given to the need for social inclusion.

While Dundee was trying to ensure full accessibility for all sections of the community, it was vital necessary remedial work was prioritised and new design influenced.

The council’s local transport strategy is currently being monitored and reviewed. As part of that process the council wants to tap in to the skills, expertise and experience of people with mobility problems and groups acting as advocates for them.

Mr Galloway said local access panels can be particularly useful in auditing existing provision (or lack of it), advising on priorities for action and monitoring the subsequent satisfaction ratings with projects undertaken.

On that basis he proposed contacting a range of organisations, including the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS), Dundee Voluntary Action Group, the Dundee Society for Visually Impaired People, the Tayside and Western isles Association for the Deaf, Age Concern, Barnardos Family Support Team, and Dundee Shopmobility.

MACS was set up last year as the Scottish Executive’s statutory adviser on disability issues relating to transport.

Its vision is of a Scotland where anyone with a mobility problem can go where and when everyone else can.

Planning and transportation convener Fiona Grant said, “It is important there are no physical barriers to people with mobility problems getting about the city to easily reach all the cultural, leisure, employment and recreation facilities.”