Creating disability inclusive services and public spaces in a local council

Selina Bonnie MA

Disability Liaison, Access and Equality Officer12 October 2015

Creating an Accessible County Council

• Creation of South Dublin County Council (SDCC) in 1995

• Establishment of Social Inclusion Unit 2002

• Adoption of Barcelona Declaration 2002

• Enactment of Disability Act 2005

• National Disability Strategy funding programme 2005 – 2010

• Significant programme of access audits and public consultation process during 2007

• ‘Enabling Access, Ensuring Equality of Opportunity’, SDCC Disability Act Implementation Plan 2008-2010

Commitment to Mainstreaming

• Council’s Senior Management Team committed to providing inclusive and accessible public services

• Commitment and actions detailed in the Council’s Corporate Plan and the County Development Plan

• Flows through PMDS, work programmes, action plans

• Extended Management Team are key drivers in the Council for mainstreaming

• Supported by ‘Access Champions’ across organisation

• Support of Elected Members is vital

• Key step to providing inclusive services - create inclusive work environment for staff

Commitment to Mainstreaming

•Staff understanding of, and buy in to, mainstreaming policies and practices is essential

•Methods to secure staff buy in:

- ‘South Circular’ newsletter

- Intranet

- Presentations at monthly staff meetings

- Series of talks for all staff

-Targeted events on significant days

- Access webpage on Intranet and so on

•Facilitate inclusive consultation with disabled people on policies and services

Internal Policies and Processes

• Policy for the Employment of Disabled People

• Equal Opportunities Policy

• Disability Act Implementation Team to ensure the Council is meeting its obligations under the Disability Act

• South Dublin County Disability Advisory and Consultative Panel

• Forward Planning Multi Disciplinary Grouping

• Elected Members Disability Proofing Toolkit – developed in collaboration with the Members and available online through Membersnet

• Literacy Friendly Action Plan and Team

• South Dublin County Housing and Disability Steering Group

• Use of ICTs and Social Media – Communications Action Plan

Challenges

• Maintaining access both internal and external

- testing induction hearing loops

- keeping floor spaces clear

- ensuring that accessible external surfaces are not impaired by utilities works

• Ensuring literacy friendly communications through supporting and encouraging staff to write in plain English

- offering training

- circulating basic tips to empower individuals and take the fear out of ‘proofing’

External Policies and Processes

• Actions to achieve universal access

• Recognising that people have individual access needs:

- Designing a variety of house types

- Braille, tactile and pictorial signage

- Plain English proofing

- Inclusive libraries

- Facilitating disabled performers and sports people

• Council’s Customer Service Action Plan - commitments to accessible and inclusive customer service including the use of plain English.

• All customer service points have hearing loops installed

External Policies and Processes

• Requests for information in alternative formats can be met

• Strong commitment to and understanding of universal design within SDCC

- Universal access playspaces,

- Building access into new works and upgrades,

- Local Area Plans,

- Age Friendly County Plan.

Internal Support Structures

• Staff training identified by the organisation and by individual staff

members. Staff training provided in:

- Disability Equality

- Mental Health Awareness

- Literacy Awareness

- Dealing with challenging behaviour for frontline staff

- Access auditing

- LAMH and Irish Sign Language

•Disability Liaison, Access and Equality Officer

•Participation in IRIS pilot

•Disability Act Implementation Team

•Social Inclusion Unit

Disability Liaison, Access and Equality Officer

• Internally supports line managers to facilitate and accommodate the needs of disabled staff

• Point of contact and support for disabled staff members

• Supports HR in responding to work experience requests:

- Linking individuals with suitable work experience positions

- Meeting with individual applicants to discuss their needs.

• Council policy to ensure work experience is meaningful to both the department and the applicant.

• Internally supports Council staff to provide and / or plan accessible facilities and services.

Disability Liaison, Access and Equality Officer

• Externally supports members of the public to access services provided by the Council.

• Represents Council on:

- Irish Disability Studies Association

- National Access and Equality Officers Networks

• Brings examples of good practice into the County

Mainstream Services• MindMindR - a comprehensive directory of Mental Health

services and resources for South Dublin County.

• People can quickly access information and contact details on mental health services using the smartphone technology and the MindMindR app

• Hearing Loops at all customer service points and participated in IRIS pilot

• Fix your Street http://www.fixyourstreet.ie/. Website and app People can report issues with their street online. Fast response time

Mainstream Services

• Ground floor access provided to three listed buildings - Importance of providing secondary egress

• Jobot’s Access All Areas – accessibility awareness game and access guide videos made available online and in multiple formats

• Participates in the annual National Accessibility Week

• National and International recognition of commitment – Chambers Ireland, EU Access City Award

• Camac Valley Caravan and Camping Park and Rua Red

Access City Award 2013 - Tallaght Special Mention - Accessibility of

Public Facilities and Services

Selina Bonnie MADisability Liaison, Access and Equality Officer

Corporate Performance and Change Management Department

Tel: 01 414 9041

Mobile: 087 270 8918

Skype Id: selina.bonnie

ooVoo Id: accessiblesouthdublin

Email: sbonnie@sdublincoco.ie

Web: http://accessible.southdublin.ie

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sdublincoco