disability implementation plan 2007- 2010 supporting equal access

Disability Implementation Plan

2007- 2010

Supporting equal access to our services

Draft Limerick City Council Disability Implementation Plan 2007-2010

Limerick City Council 2

Comments / Submissions

Limerick City Council invites comments on its draft Disability Implementation Plan from interested parties no later than the 25th of January 2008. Submissions will be accepted via e-mail, post or fax to:

Niall FlahertySocial Inclusion UnitMerchants QuayCity Hall Limerick City CouncilPhone: 061 407328Fax: 061 418601Email: [email protected]

Alternative Formats

The Disability Implementation Plan is available on the Limerick City Councilwebsite (www.limerickcity.ie) and can be provided in alternative formats upon request.



Table of Contents

Part 1

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………… P4

Legislative Background……………………………………………………………………… P5

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………… P6

Objectives and Actions………………………………………………………………………..P7

What is a Disability?...............................................................................P9

Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………….P12

Part 2

Matrix…………………………………………………………………………………………………P13

Appendices………………………………………………………………………………………P24/6



Acknowledgements

Many people contributed to the development of this Plan including people with disabilities, organisations representing people with disabilities, Limerick City Councilstaff, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and external experts. The process stretching from late 2005 has provided a significant learning opportunity for everyone.

Special thanks to those who shared their stories and experiences of living with a disability and also to those who took time to walk our streets and highlight the obstacles present in our built environment. This inspired and informed staff and generated a positive energy that is supporting the Plans implementation.

Thank you to:

The members of Limerick City Council’s Disability Advisory Group: Patricia Liddy, John McEntee, Jason Murphy, Deirdre O’Dea, Dermot Winston, Pat Skeehan.

The members of the External Advisory Group:Toni Gleeson, Disability Federation of Ireland, Bev Webster, Inclusion Services and Lee Gath.



Legislative Background

In 2004 the Government launched a National Disability Strategy as a framework of legislative measures to support and encourage positive actions for people with disabilities. The strategy is composed of the following key elements:

o Disability Act (2005)o Sectoral Plans (2006)o A multi annual investment programme for disability support services

Disability Act (2005): The Disability Act (2005) was enacted by the Houses of the Oireachtas in September 2005 to advance the participation of people with disabilities in society. It requires local authorities to Plan for integrated access to local housing, roads and streets, libraries, parks, buildings, services and information and in turn to develop a Disability Implementation Plan through audit and consultation setting out how they will meet their obligations and responsibilities under the legislation. (Appendix 1: Summary of main provisions of Disability Act for the Local Authority)

Sectoral Plans: Following on from the Disability Act, six Government Departments published Sectoral Plans in 2006. The Plans highlight how the functions of the Departments, and the key bodies which they oversee, serve the needs of people with disabilities and set out a programme for future development.

The six departments are as follows: o Environment Heritage and Local Governmento Health and Childreno Social and Family Affairso Transporto Communications, Marine and Natural Resourceso Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

In December 2006, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government produced its Disability Sectoral Plan. The Plan sets out national objectives and guidelines for access to local authority services and built facilities (Appendix 2: Key elements of Dept of Environment Sectoral Plan). The Plan when fully implemented will have a significant and lasting effect on the lives of people with disabilities.

Multi Annual Investment Programme: The government has committed to providing a multi annual capital and current investment programme from 2006-2009 to support the delivery of high priority disability services. In cumulative terms, this will involve almost €600m current spending and €300m capital spending. This funding will provide improvements in the areas of health care, education and accessibility to public buildings and amenities for people with disabilities. To date local authorities have received in excess of €75m.



Introduction

Limerick City Council’s Disability Implementation Plan is a strategy for improving itsservices to ensure there is no discrimination (intentional or unintentional) against people with a disability. The Implementation Plan signifies our ongoing commitment to creating a socially inclusive society by setting out our objectives and actions for implementing the strategy at every level across the organisation over the next 3 years.

The Plan has identified achievable strategies that will see a gradual but sustainable improvement in our commitment to disability. It is the first step to achieving greater inclusiveness and Limerick City Council will now focus its efforts on implementing the strategies.

The Plan is a 2 part document, part 1 being the text based description of background, local context and methodology and part 2 a schedule of works with prioritised actions, assigned responsibilities and target dates. Many of the actions proposed for part 2 of the Plan will be funded through the Multi Annual Investment Programme and supported by mainstream budgets.

The Plan has been co-ordinated by Limerick City Council’s Social Inclusion Unit and developed by an internal Disability Advisory Group of Limerick City Council in consultation with local people with disabilities and local organisations representing people with disabilities. Their input and feedback has helped inform the type of action that is appropriate and deliverable. Themes identified by this group as presenting obstacles to people with disabilities included:

Design and Layout: where the design of the physical environment restrictsaccess to services for people with disabilities

Service design: where systems, procedures and practices restrict access to services.

Communication: where materials and services are presented in inaccessible formats.

Limerick City Council are committed to taking a step by step approach to address practical and attitudinal changes that will benefit the entire community, we hope this document will provide not only a starting point but also a pathway to build ourcapacity over time to respond to disability issues identified by groups, individuals, and the wider community.



Objectives and Actions

The Disability Implementation Plan has been developed in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Plan identifies 5 Strategic Objective areas to address disability access within Limerick City Council. To achieve these objectives, actions have been identified with corresponding timelines, budgets and assignment of responsibility.

The key objectives to address disability access are:

Strategic Objective 1: To progressively remove barriers in the built environment to ensure Limerick City Council facilities are universally accessible to its customers, service providers and staff.

Strategic Objective 2: Improve the physical landscape of Limerick city’s roads and streetscapes.

Strategic Objective 3: Provide accessible and inclusive communication tools to ensure people with a disability are given the opportunity to be informed about all aspects of Limerick City Council services.

Strategic Objective 4: Improve staff awareness and understanding of the needs of people with disabilities.

Strategic Objective 5: To ensure goods and services procured by Limerick City Council are accessible to all.

VisionThe vision for the Disability Implementation Plan is:

“To ensure Limerick City Council identifies any practices which discriminate against people with disabilities and in turn develop strategies which ensure equitable and dignified access to our services for people with disabilities”.

This vision is reflected in one of the core values of Limerick City Council’s Corporate Plan which is to:

“Prioritise the delivery of resources to enable all our citizens to participate fully in the social, economic and cultural life of our city”

Limerick City Council will achieve this through the provision of accessible services and reasonable adjustments as required. This will be met through the effective implementation of the Plan. The objectives of the Plan reflect the organisations commitment to ensure:

All members of the community have equal access to its services and programmes;

There is no discrimination, intentional or otherwise, against people with disabilities in its services or workplaces;



Disability principles are incorporated into the authority’s policies and practices.

Who will benefit from this Disability Implementation Plan?Anyone who experiences a disability will benefit from changes to a more accessible city. Everyone in the community has the possibility of developing or acquiring a disability, many people experience reduced mobility in various situations; parents pushing young children in strollers, young people with sporting injuries or older people who are becoming less agile. The entire community benefits from developing a culture of respecting human rights, learning to view from other perspectives and creating opportunities for everyone to participate.

How the Action Plan will be evaluatedLimerick City Council will implement the Action Plan and develop a process to ensure the Action Plan achieves its goals. The goals will be reviewed and updated annually by Limerick City Council’s Disability Advisory Group (composed of local authority staff) in conjunction with an external advisory group (composed of people with disabilities and organisations representing people with disabilities) to ensure they remain relevant and are progressing effectively. The Action Plan will be reviewed on an annual basis and new actions inserted in line with funding received and progress made. A progress report on the Plan will be provided in Limerick City Council’sAnnual Report.



What is a Disability?

The definition of Disability as determined by the Disability Act 2005, states the following:

“Disability in relation to a person, means a substantial restriction in the capability of the person to carry on a profession, business or occupation in the State or to participate in social or cultural life in the State”

By reason of an enduring 1. physical, 2. sensory, 3. mental health or 4. intellectual impairment

Medical and Social Models of DisabilityIn recent years there has been a major shift in the assumptions held about the nature of disability, away from what has been termed the medical model of disability towards the social model.

The medical model of disability focuses on people’s specific impairments. Its underlying assumptions are that people with a disability are different from the norm and that they need to be helped and if possible cured so that they might conform to that norm. Starting from the early 1970s, this way of thinking about disability was increasingly challenged and rejected by people with a disability, in favour of what has been termed the social model of disability.

The social model argues that the environment and organisation of society rather than the individual impairs people. The focus is then on the need to change societal conditions to accommodate the needs of the disabled person.



National and Local Context

2006 Census of PopulationThe 2006 Census figures record 394,000 or 9.3% of the total population having a long lasting health problem or disability. Almost 269,000 (62%) of these persons had more than one disability up from 188,000 (58.1%) in 2002.

Incidences of disability were higher in urban areas than rural areas (9.3% compared to 8.6%); among females than males (9.6% compared with 9%); and was age related - nearly two-thirds of those with a disability were aged 50 years or over.

Of the 114,749 males age 15-64 years with a disability, 53,244 reported being in the labour force, a participation rate of 46.4%, this compares with a participation rate of 81% for all males in the same age group. Persons with a disability represented 4% of all persons at work in 2006.

Population in Limerick City 52,529Total Persons, males and females with a disability in Limerick CityTotal Persons: 6921

Breakdown of forms of Disability in Limerick City Blindness, deafness or a severe vision or hearing impairment 1,413 A condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities

3,326 Difficulty in learning, remembering or concentrating 1,941 Difficulty in dressing, bathing or getting around inside the home 1,473 Difficulty in going outside the home alone 2,017 Difficulty in working at a job or business 2,665 Learning or intellectual disability 1,144 Psychological or emotional condition 1,401 Difficulty in participating in other activities 2,365 Other including chronic illness 2,495

Work of Limerick City Council to dateIn 2006 Limerick City Council established an internal Disability Advisory Groupcomposed of senior staff from across the organisation to assist Limerick City Council meet its requirements in relation to the Disability Act (2005). The group is assisted in its work by an external committee composed of people with disabilities and organisations representing people with disabilities and their role is to provide advice and feedback.

The responsibilities of Limerick City Council’s Disability Advisory Group are as follows:

- Identify best practice in delivering services for people with disabilities;- Assist in preparing the disability implementation Plan, identify priorities,

propose solutions and advise on best practice from an access perspective;- Assist in identifying training and awareness modules for local authority

personnel;- Comment on progress reports on implementation of the Sectoral Plan;- Identify access issues to information and services that are causing

impediments to people with disabilities;



- Assist in identifying other opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in decision-making processes;

- Make recommendations for the improvement of local authority information, publications and public information to better suit the needs of people with disabilities;

- Advise on disability-proofing policy and best practice to ensure all local authority programmes, policies and projects make appropriate recognition of the needs of people with a disability;



Funding for Disability Specific Services

Since the inception of the Multi Annual Investment Programme in 2005, Limerick City Council has received approximately €1.7m.

Projects funded during 2005



Access audits of roads and buildingAccess audit of City Council WebsiteDisability Awareness TrainingLibrary Scanning MachineMagnifying machine for PlanningRamp at Art GalleryUpgrading of lifts in City HallDisabled toilets in City HallSignage in City Hall

Web access projectDisability Awareness TrainingAccessible public countersAccessible toilet Bedford RowNew entrance to People’s ParkAccessible public seating in People’s ParkAccessible play equipment for O’Brien’s ParkAccessible public toilet in the People’s Park

Improvements to roads and streets

Signage and assistive technology for library

Automatic doors in City Hall



Methodology

The vision and actions documented in this Plan were formalised following:

A) Access Audits of Limerick City Council Buildings and Streets

B) Workshops with Limerick City Councils Disability Advisory Group and its external advisory committee.

Access Audits:In Dec 2005, Healy Kelly Turner Townsend (HKTT) and PH McCarthy Engineers were appointed as Access Auditors of Limerick City Council buildings, amenities, parks and streets in line with the requirements laid down in the Disability Act (2005) for local authorities to conduct access audits of its roads and buildings. The audits identified not only the access problems but also demonstrated the accessible, user-friendly features of the buildings. Both reports recommended the access improvements, gave prioritised actions and indicated where improvements could be made through aprogramme of works.

Workshops:In late 2006 Limerick City Council conducted a series of workshops with people with disabilities, families of people with disabilities and organisations representing people with disabilities. The aim of the workshops was twofold, 1) to highlight the obligations of the local authority under the National Disability Strategy and 2) to seek representation from people with disabilities or their families onto a group to provide feedback to Limerick City Council’s Disability Advisory Group.

Once membership was agreed they became involved in the Planning process for the development of Limerick City Council’s Disability Implementation Plan. Their involvement goes beyond the development stage and continues through to putting the Plan into practice, its review and revision.

Criteria for selection of ActionsIn order to decide on the types of actions that should be inserted in the Plan a set of criteria was established by Limerick City Council’s Disability Advisory Group and each promoter of an action was invited to answer.

These questions were:1. What evidence do you have to support your proposal that this action is

necessary?2. What are the quantifiable benefits of implementing this action (e.g. how

many?) and are there any unintended secondary benefits that may be experienced by other customers of LCC?

3. What is the cost of implementing this action, what is the timeframe for delivery?

4. In what way have you liaised with other outside agencies or internal departments to ensure that your action “fits” in with other Plans?

5. What percentage of funding is LCC allocating to this action?



Limerick City Council Disability Implementation Plan Matrix 2007-2010

Built Environment

Strategic Objective 1: To progressively remove barriers in the built environment to ensure LCC facilities are universally accessible to its customers, service providers and staff.

Rationale: People with disabilities experience many challenges when accessing day to day services, in many instances their greatest challenge is the obstacles created by the physical environment. As the first step towards removing these obstacles, the Sectoral Plan required all local authorities to identify the restrictions which restrict people with limited mobility to move freely around a building. Limerick City Council addressed this in 2005 when Healy Kelly Turner Townsend produced a detailed audit of its buildings to identify the barriers and to cost the subsequent improvement works. The recommendations from the audit are being used to frame the actions presented under Strategic Objective 1 of this Implementation Plan.

Action Keys Steps Timeframe Lead Dept / Person

Budget Progress to Date

Start Date Complete

1. Install accessible doors at front entrance to City Hall.

Examine the most practical and effective door types.

Refer to audit findings re specifications.

Sept 07 Nov 08 Architects S. Cooke

€10,000 CompletedOct 07.



2. Provide ramped access from St.Augustine Place to front entrance of City Hall

Refer to audit findings re specifications for ramp and railings.

Nov 07 Feb 08 Architects / Housing

D. Healy

€5,000 Funding secured.

3. Replace all park benches in Limerick City by 2015

Source bench seating with arm rests to provide an effective resting point for people with limited mobility.

2007 2010 Environment Dept and

Limerick Civic Trust

€60,000 All benches replaced in People’s Park.

4. Provide transit wheelchairs for use by mobility impaired members of the general public in our local authority offices and buildings.

Work with Corporate services to identify the facilities which require wheelchairs.

2007 2008 Corporate Services

J. Delaney

Free Available from Library, Museumand City Hall.

Roads and Streetscapes

Strategic Objective 2: Improve the physical landscape of Limerick city’s roads and streetscapesRationale: For people with restrictive mobility, moving or travelling around can be difficult. In Limerick City we want to make sure that

everyone can use our roads and streets free from obstruction to access the range of services in offer in the city. We will consult with people with disabilities regularly to understand their needs and take account of these needs in all new Plans and work programmes. We are focusing on the city centre for the next 3 years, where there are most pedestrians, so work we carry out will benefit more people. The strategy to improve universal access will be implemented on a phased basis. The first phase will



focus on providing an accessible link between the points of tourist interest in the city. Subsequent phases will improve the accessibility of the remaining streets with priority given to routes identified by people with disabilities.

Priority Action Keys Steps Timeframe Lead Dept / Person

Budget Progress to Date

Start Date Compete By

1. Survey the streets in Limerick’s Medieval Quarter to determine the extent and nature of works required to ensure the tourist attractions in the area are accessible.

NB: LCC intend to promote the city as an accessible tourist location and over the next 3-5 years develop an accessible tourist trail linking all the tourist attractions in the city. Part of the costs for these works will be incurred by existing and Planned T&I projects whilst the remainder will be funded through the National Disability monies.

Undertake an accurate survey of each street to produce a bill of quantities.

Hire a contractor to undertake the improvements.

Jan 08 Spring 08 Transport and Infrastructure

D. Winston

€55,000 GIS Dept have identified and mapped the existing tourist attractions in Limerick City.

T&I Dept have identified the Medieval Qtr as the starting point for this project.

2. Install a controlled crossing at the People’s Park

Install ductingContract traffic light solutions.Install tactile paving.Insert new road markings.

Oct 07 Dec 07 Transport and Infrastructure

P. Eyres

€30,000 Contractor due on site by end of 2007.



3. Renovation of existing disabled parking bays and the creation of 6 new ones.

Insert markings and signs.

Oct 07 Dec 07 Transport and Infrastructure.

R. McDermott

€30,000 Work commenced Sept 07.

4. Install a wheelchair ramp adjacent to Radcliffe house where Harry’s Mall meets Athlunkard Street.

Relocation of existing services.

Demolition of existing retaining wall and steps.

Install new drainage system.

Construct new ramp, steps and safety barrier.

Nov 07 Dec 07 Transport and Infrastructure

T. Kelly

€20,200 Contractor on site Oct 07.

5. Removal of steps and construction of ramp on the north side outbound lane leading from Atlunkard street onto O’Dwyer bridge at abbey river crossing.

Construct rampand retaining wall.

Install railingsand new footpath.

Feb 08 May 08 Transport and Infrastructure

T.Kelly & S.McGlynn

€45,000 Contractor on site Oct 07.



6. Install a pedestrian crossing at junction of Catherine Street and Glentworth Street to facilitate access for a group with disabilities located at the Tait Business Centre.

Install tactile paving.

Insert new road markings.

Mar 08 May 08 Transport and Infrastructure

P. Eyres

€20,000 To date no funding is secured.

7. Install a new pathway at the rear of Sarsfield Barracks leading onto O’Connell Avenue with access only for the wheelchair patrons from the Independent Living Centre thus enabling them move freely fromtheir centre at Sarsfield Barracks onto O’ConnellAvenue.

Work will involve creating a new entrance.

Mar 08 July 08 Transport and Infrastructure

P. Eyres & D. Winston

€45,000 Discussions have taken place with the wheelchair users. To date no funding is secured.

8. Install a safe crossing point for the children with special needs at Catherine McCauley School.

Narrowing of existing crossing point via development of a pedestrian crossing and 2 bull noses.


P. Eyres




9. Construct an island for buses to drop off children attending Catherine McCauley Special School. NB: Presently no appropriate parking for buses; new island will allow children disembark safely.

Create an island area for buses only


P. Eyres




Information and Services

Strategic Objective 3: Provide accessible and inclusive communication tools to ensure people with a disability are given the opportunity to be informed about all aspects of Limerick City Council services.

Rationale: Ensuring that people with disabilities can access the full range of public information produced by local authorities is a key requirement of the Disability Act, 2005. In this regard Limerick City Council is committed to providing adaptive and assistive technology to enable people with disabilities to access our information and publications in a variety of formats.

Priority Action Keys Steps Timeframe Lead Dept Budget Progress to Date

Start Date Complete By

1. Ensure all print publications are available in a variety of formats upon request.

Identify most frequently used / requested information from public.

Explore range of alternative formats that can be employed.

Produce publications in all formats upon request.

Ongoing Ongoing Corporate Services



2. Continue to research the most appropriate means of improving access to all aspects of our website.

Examine the findings of the interim audit report of our website and prioritise actions from this.

Conduct an end of year audit on the progress to date re maintenance of website

Identify areas to improve 3rd party software on site.

Aug 07 Jan 08 ICT €2,000 Interim

audit produced July 07

Website launched July 07.

3. Provide adaptive and assistive technology for people with disabilities in our libraries.

Source appropriate technology to enable the library to deliver their services to all users

Aug 07 Ongoing Library €29,000

Library service continually updating their technology to ensure universal accessibility of their services.



Training / Awareness Raising

Strategic Objective 4: To ensure staff of LCC receives disability awareness training to ensure the effective and non discriminatory delivery of services to people with disabilities

Rationale: Many people have difficulty in knowing how best to respond to the needs of a person with a disability, they become concerned that they may cause offence by using inappropriate words or terms or simply not know how to cope with a situation because of a lack of knowledge about the appropriate etiquette when working with people with disabilities. It is in this regard that disability awareness training is being provided to all staff to ensure LCC can provide the best service to customers/clients with disabilities and that our staff can maximize their working relationships with colleagues with disabilities.


Start Date Complete By

1. Rollout disability awareness training programmes across all departments of LCC.

Source disability awareness training appropriate to the needs of each department.

Deliver training as part of the PMDS program and induction program

Ongoing Corporate Services and

Social Inclusion

Unit.

€40,000 4 training modules rolled out in 06 and 07.



2. Survey staff that have identified as having a disability to determine their training and development needs.

Source appropriate service providers to deliver on training needs.

Ongoing Ongoing Corporate Services and Social Inclusion Unit.

3. Provide access audit training for Limerick City Council Roads Dept staff.

Source appropriate training and purchase suitable audit recording equipment.

Feb 08 May 08 Corporate Services and Social Inclusion Unit.

€3,000 Sourced training provider.



Procurement

Strategic Objective 5: To ensure goods and services procured by LCC are accessible to all.Rationale: Under Section 27 of the Disability Act local authorities must ensure that the goods or services that are supplied to it are

accessible to pwd unless it would not be practicable or justifiable on cost grounds or would result in an unreasonable delay. This relates to a wide range of goods or services including equipment, materials, information technology etc. while it may not always be possible to ensure goods or services are accessible the benefits for a local authority are significant, e.g. improves standing in the community, promotes an accessible environment.


1. Ensure all goods and services procured for use in local authorities premises meet accessibility guidelines.

Inform all dept’s of their requirements under the procurement guidelines.

Ongoing All Departments

Part of the tendering process

2. Review of the procurement process to take account of “accessibility and design for all” in the tendering and awarding of contracts.

Ensure all dept'sreceive a copy of the NDA public Design for All.

Ongoing All Departments


3.Review to request tenders to display evidence of their expertise in the area of accessibility and design for all.

Draw up guidelines for reviewCommence review

All Departments




Appendix 1

Summary of main provisions of Disability Act for the local authority

Under section 25 public bodies are required, to make their public buildings accessible to people with disabilities by 2015. This will require the re-fitting of older public buildings so that they comply with Part M of the Building Regulations.

Under section 26 public bodies are required, to ensure that their services are accessible for peoples with disabilities by providing integrated access to mainstream services where practicable and appropriate.

Under section 27 public bodies are required to ensure that the goods or services that they purchase are accessible, unless it would not be practicable or justifiable on cost grounds or would result in an unreasonable delay.

Under section 28, following a request, communications by a body to a person with a hearing or visual impairment must, as practicable, be provided in an accessible format. Information provided electronically must, as far as practicable, be compatible with adaptive technology. Published information, relevant to persons with intellectual disabilities must, also be as far as practicable made available in easy to read formats.

Under section 29 heritage sites under public ownership, management or control and open to the public must be accessible to people with disabilities. This requirement will not apply if the works involved in making the site accessible would have an adverse impact on the conservation of the site.

Under section 31 (1) requires Ministers of various Government departments to prepare and publish a Plan outlining a range of measures that will be undertaken by their department to deliver on their legislative responsibilities.

Under section 46/47 a 3% target is set for the employment of people with disabilities in the public service. It allows for each Minister to expand the range of positive actions which public bodies, within his or her area of responsibility, must take for the employment of people with disabilities. It also gives a special role to the National Disability Authority (NDA) in monitoring compliance and ensuring implementation.

Under section 52 establishment of a Centre for Excellence in Universal Design within the NDA to promote best practice in the design of buildings and products.

disability implementation plan 2007- 2010 supporting equal access

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