The National Council for the Blind is calling on business owners to be more careful when planning their outdoor seating areas.
The charity has launched its "Clear Our Paths" campaign this week, which aims to highlight the struggles faced by visually impaired people in towns and cities.
The introduction of outdoor dining in recent years has led to more footpaths and disabled parking spots being filled up with hazardous street furniture.
June Tinsley is the head of advocacy at the NCBI and says the changes can be confusing for blind pedestrians:
"The furniture might not be clearly cordoned off and it might lead to some chairs strewn across the footpath. For someone who's blind or visually impaired, it's really important that the familiarity of those areas for them to navigate through safely. So now that the streetscape has changed, it can be a little disorientating."
