Citizens with disabilities in Bourges confronted the mayor and an opponent about urban accessibility challenges. The meeting aimed to make them feel the daily obstacles faced by people with disabilities. Issues include roads, transport, public buildings, and information, all under municipal responsibility.
On February 25, about ten people, including Bourges residents with motor, visual, or neurodevelopmental disabilities, took part in a meeting to raise awareness among candidates for the 2026 municipal elections. Attendees included representatives from organizations such as APF France Handicap, Ladapt, and Gedhif.
The event highlighted concrete difficulties. For instance, Nizar Smaali and Romain Liger, 34 years old and using speech synthesis on his phone, could not enter Philippe Mercier's campaign office without a portable access ramp. Located on rue Moyenne in central Bourges, the doorway was not suitable for electric wheelchairs. Mercier, the right and center candidate, acknowledged: “It’s sure that it’s not adapted [...] I don’t know how the previous shopkeeper managed.”
Romain Liger explained that the goal was to “feel and measure what it means to live in Bourges with a disability.” Discussions focused on accessibility of roads, transport, public buildings, and information, areas directly under the mayor's responsibility. This initiative comes ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for March 15 and 22, 2026.
