question for everyone

dbnavan

Whether you work or are at school. Is the place where you go to work or school accessible to those in a wheelchair or those with mobility diffuculties. I am a student of Blanchardstown with Cerebral palsy, for me to get to college from the nearest bus stop, I must cross 2 main roads with no crossing whatsoever, meaning I must play dodge with cars coming off a roundabout. this is even thought there is a bus stop, within the college grounds but only used twice daily.

It is at least a 10-15 minute walk to the nearest bus-stop. this is not a poor me messege at all, but the question I pose to everyone esepecially those in larger companies.(ie over 50 employees) think about your nearest bus stop and think would it be easy to get to for a disabled employee. I know not every work place can be expected to accessiblity for practical reasons, i.e office above a shop with no lift. that is a different debate altogether.

I am basing this survey just on companies with more then 50 employees. Or colleges.

Visit my website to see Dublin buses response to this question.

http://www.browneline.com/travel.htm

Regards
D

billy the squid

I work for a company with over 5,000 employees. luckily they have their own busses. but they are private coaches which are not wheelchair accessible. you have to climb a number of steps to get onto the coach and the isles are narrow. basically these private coaches are not designed with wheelchair accessibility in mind.

The local Limerick busses are designed with wheelchair bound people in mind, and used to enter the Raheen industrial estate, but do not do this anymore. to get to the nearest bus stop you have to go from one end of the estate to the other, crossing the entrances of numerous factories where large lorries are entering and leaving all the time.

I am a visually impaired person, so the busses, i can live with, but there are wheelchair bouned people working where i work. the factory itself is excelent with regard to accessibility for wheelchair bound persons, but transportation to and from work for these people has a lot to be desired. they either have to have their own car, or have to get a lift from a kind co-worker.

smileygal

Well done for writing into them.

Just in case it's of help/anybody reading hasn't come across them,

People with Disabilities in Ireland may be of help regarding access:
They have networks throughout Ireland

www.pwdi.ie

They are monitoring accessibility issues in Cork - hotels etc and the Cork Access Group is dealing with the brand new impediments introduced by the Patrick St refurbishment, like the ridiculous lampposts they have plagued us with!

Squirrel

My school, St. Mac Dara's in Templeogue is good regarding access for the disabled, we have ramps, and no stairs what-so-ever in the school, single story building but on a hill so is stepped. There is a wheelchair toilet, but, is not plumbed in at all, is always locked and a storage room. It is a storage room with a wheelchair toilet sign on the door, that I think is ridiculous.

dbnavan

Squirrel wrote:

There is a wheelchair toilet, but, is not plumbed in at all, is always locked and a storage room. It is a storage room with a wheelchair toilet sign on the door, that I think is ridiculous.

I think if you bring this to the attention of the person responsable for health and safety in the school (usually an appointed teacher) they will find they are in breech of Department of Education regulations. Fact that there may not be a disabled person in the school, makes no difference so dont take that as an excuse. Email me if you need any assistance or to let me know how you get on.

Dave

Squirrel

dbnavan wrote:

I think if you bring this to the attention of the person responsable for health and safety in the school (usually an appointed teacher) they will find they are in breech of Department of Education regulations. Fact that there may not be a disabled person in the school, makes no difference so dont take that as an excuse. Email me if you need any assistance or to let me know how you get on.

Dave

There's not any disabled people in the school, anymore, last year there was, and he was in a wheelchair for his whole 5 years in the school.