IWA: Councils need dedicated access officers

The Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) is calling on local authorities, including Cork City and County Councils, to appoint dedicated access officers, as part of its Access - It’s No Joke campaign.

The organisation said that 81% of local authorities in Ireland - including both Cork City and County Councils - do not have a dedicated access officer.

Only six local authorities - the four councils in Dublin, and Waterford and Wexford County Councils - have a dedicated officer.

A spokesperson for Cork City Council confirmed that the authority does have an access officer but that they carry out the role alongside other responsibilities.

Under Section 6 of the Disability Act 2005, all public bodies, including local authorities, must appoint an access officer to support people with disabilities to access public services. The IWA said that this is only happening “in theory”.

Rosaleen Lally, National Access Programme Manager at the IWA, said “people with disabilities need better access to public transport, healthcare, housing and amenities like parks and pools”.

“We know that many local authorities have ‘access officers’ but often these are simply additional job titles that are given to existing busy staff. We know that our local authorities have dedicated hardworking staff, but they cannot break down access barriers without time, budget or experience,” she said.

The Access - It’s No Joke campaign launched on 1 April, and features a number of humorous online videos with comedians Anna Clifford, David McSavage, and Owen Colgan.

The videos will highlight the barriers people with disabilities face to access everyday public amenities like public pathways, public transport, parks, parking bays, and coffee shops.

They will also feature wheelchair users sharing their experiences of accessing public amenities.

Connie Richardson is a wheelchair user who features in the campaign. She highlights the issues with accessing public transport.

“By the time I get to the bus stop, I’ve already overcome so many obstacles,” she said. “If the one wheelchair spot is taken, or the ramp is broken, I may miss my appointments.”

“But I try to remain positive and leave the house early to allow for these situations,” she said.

The messaging to councils will highlight the need for dedicated Access Officers who are not burdened with other roles.

“Hardworking, well-intentioned people cannot work in a broken system,” said Lally. “Local authorities need access & inclusion officers with a budget and a mandate to improve access across public services, from public transport to housing to recreational amenities for people with disabilities and mobility issues.”

“Ticking a box is not enough for county councils, and our communities deserve better.

“People with disabilities don’t just need support, they need solutions and actions,” she said.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.