COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, November 12, 2018
QUESTION NO. 18
QUESTION: Councillor C. O'Connor
To ask the Chief Executive to confirm actions he is taking to promote Disability Inclusion in our County outlining the various contacts he has had in respect of this matter and will he make a statement.
REPLY:
Ongoing actions to promote accessibility and inclusion for disabled people include:
- Support for the South Dublin County Disability Advisory and Consultative Panel through the Council’s Disability Liaison, Access and Equality Officer. (The Council also provides essential funding for access supports such as Irish Sign Language interpretation for Panel meetings and events);
- Availability of the Disability Liaison, Access and Equality Officer to support disabled people to access and navigate council services;
- Provision of over 150 public accessible parking spaces are across the County. There are also over 15 spaces provided for specific disabled or mobility impaired residents;
- Participation in the annual National Accessibility Week;
- Provision of accessible Information Communication Technology, including the development of our website to WCAG double AA standard;
- Continued commitment to being a literacy friendly local authority through an ongoing programme of plain English proofing, and supporting staff to provide documents in plain English.
- Braille and tactile way finding signage is provided across the County including in County Hall, Civic Offices Clondalkin, South Dublin Libraries and community facilities such as Tallaght Stadium and the community centres.
- Audio Frequency Induction Loops (AFILs) for those who are hard of hearing are available at most of our customer service points and the Irish Remote Interpretation Service is available in County Hall and Civic Offices Clondalkin.
In addition, the Social Inclusion Unit endeavours to develop a society where all citizens are recognised, accepted and maintain a sense of belonging within the County. This is achieved through collaboration with other Council Departments, agencies/groups and through the delivery of its many programmes.
As part of Social Inclusion Week 2018 commencing on 19th November, the Social Inclusion Unit are providing events such as Pamper Days and Art Projects for people with disabilities.
The South Dublin Sports Partnership provide a Sports Inclusion Disability Programme (SIDP) which aims to increase the participation of people with disabilities in sport and recreational physical activity. This will be achieved through working in partnership with statutory agencies like the HSE, sports clubs, community groups, facility providers, schools, disability service providers and people with disabilities. Key elements of the programme include sustainable programming, information provision, training and education. The SIDP targets individuals of all ages and abilities who have an interest in participating in sport or recreational physical activity.
The Council has also committed to assist parents of children on the Autism Spectrum, children with special needs and Fettercairn Youth Horse Project with the excavation and manual works to provide a Sensory Trail in the Horse Project. The parents have raised over €25,000 since May 2018, allowing for all funding to go towards the provision of equipment and materials for the stimulation and sensory integration elements of the project. Sensory trails have proved to be a wonderful therapeutic tool. Our trail will be designed to specifically provide both sensory stimulation and sensory integration. It has been found that these trails are very beneficial to development and it also helps to create a relationship between the participant and the horse.
The clients of Menni Services (Children & Adults with Disabilities mainly from the Tallaght Area) are using an outdoor garden for horticultural therapy and instruction. It is an opportunity for persons with physical and intellectual disabilities, to participate in the creation and upkeep of a visually stimulation garden. The programme has been very successful over the last number of years and continues to provide an opportunity for learning, socialising and being creative.
In addition to the various ongoing actions listed above, it is worth noting that:
- Significant access is being provided in the newly constructed third stand at Tallaght Stadium.
- Lucan Swimming Pool will be an example of excellence in accessibility when built in 2019 and will include the county’s first Changing Places facility.
- Dublin’s Outdoors recently published the ‘Accessible South Dublin County’ guide to tourism, leisure and heritage in the County.