1. 1. Hi Bill One of the problems about living in beautiful Devon is it looks ideal! Many of the older holiday resorts are not accessible to the old, disabled, and partially sighted, visually impaired. Dawlish and Sidmouth come to mind! Our major cities, especially the city centres, have become disabled friendly. Yesterday I was in a coffee shop in drake Circus, and counted four different groups with wheelchair users! It occurs to me with the population getting older and living longer, isn't there an opportunity for some of our traditional holiday providers, who are struggling in the current economic climate, to seriously consider offering a specialised supported holiday package? Having thought about this since your producer asked me if I had any comments about access issues within Devon. I think although Plymouth was not shortlisted for the city of culture, Plymouth should really demonstrate it is about being, a modern cultural city, which includes disability arts! In September I am going to grad uate with a B A, dance theatre degree from Plymouth University. I am the first severely disabled person to complete the course but I hope I am, the first of many. Many students found that working with me brought a new prospective to their artistic credo and they viewed disability, with a new understanding. If Plymouth University can bring the disabled and non-disabled together in a mutually creative arena, I strongly feel a modern, city with culture, at its heart, should embrace disability artists with the same can do attitude as the University! Such an approach would be beneficial to every person in Plymouth, show Devon, Britain and the rest of the world Plymouth, is, indeed a City of culture! Audio + text BBC RADIO DEVON PLYMOUTH CITY OF CULTURE aug 2013