Photographs and pictures could soon be appearing on direction signs across Oswestry. Charity worker Susan Gordon says word-only direction signs are useless if you cannot understand what they say.

Mrs Gordon, from Oswestry, who works with people with learning disabilities, wants to see more pictorial signs and even photographs helping people to find their way around towns, supermarkets and even on menus in restaurants.

And Richard Jones, Oswestry Borough Council’s access officer, and Owen Paterson, North Shropshire MP, have already expressed interest in her ideas, while one local coffee shop has agreed to put photographs on its menu.

Betty’s coffee shop in Gobowen, part of the Derwen training centre for people with disabilities, is currently photographing meals for its menu.

Autism

Mrs Gordon works for the Shropshire-based charity Bethphage, which helps care for people with learning disabilities who live in the community or small care homes.

“Many of the service users, for example some of those with autism, will never be able to read, so traditional signs are useless to them,” she said.

Mrs Gordon said if signs for places such as libraries, banks and post offices included a picture or photograph then those people could be more independent.

“I would like to see the signs all over Britain.

“But I would like to see them in Oswestry first,” she said.

Mr Jones, whose new role as council access officer includes making Oswestry more accessible to everyone, is keen to bring the system into the town.

“It is an excellent idea,” he said. However he said funding was a problem.