My name is Tom Chambers from Newport, County Mayo. In 1981, I had a very severe accident that paralyzed me from chest down to my feet. Prior to that, I worked in the building and construction industry all over Europe. In 2005, I completed an audit course on access and audit of buildings which was ran by the University of Ulster. Presently, I am an independent access campaign officer who work and audit buildings and public offices and places in order to promote universal access for all. As a matter of fact my name came up for praise in Brussels on the 3rd of December 2012 for work and advice I gave to organisations when they were electing the most accessible city in Europe.
I felt I could put my experience to use when I saw a copy of the Plan for Peter Street in Ballina. Like everyone else, I was excited about the plan to make disabled parking bay and I put in my submissions for the work. When the work was completed, I called to have a look but was very disappointed to find out that the visually impaired and wheelchair drivers were not provided in the plan for the disable parking bay.
The work to my mind is a disgrace and I challenge everyone at the meeting tonight to prove me wrong. When I was asked to find the best place to locate a designated parking bay outside the Art Centre, I made my submission and was disappointed to find out that the bay is totally not accessible for wheelchair drivers. How can a disabled driver/passenger transfer from his/her car when the bay is just the width of the bay cutting off access to the footpath. It has not even got a sigh to identify the bay as one approach it?
A survey was carried out by the National Disability Authorities (NDA) for the government in 2011 and was launched by Minister Howlin at a presentation in Dublin last June to which I attended, regarding people with disabilities and the general public and this is what he had to say when it was put to him that the respect is almost 75% and this is what he had to say:
I was disheartened to learn that attitudes to people with disabilities have actually deteriorated, as indicated in the most recent report of the NDA. One would have thought that the natural progression is for people to have a greater understanding of disability issues and to be embracing citizenship in the fullest sense.
Public service bodies have a responsibility to be leaders in challenging negative attitudes by ensuring greater understanding and awareness of disability and how to deliver services better to customers with disabilities.
As I've already mentioned, by understanding the needs of as many customers as possible and the wide range of abilities; all of us are disabled in some way ‑‑ and by designing our services to be as accessible as possible, we can deliver better services that meet the needs of all citizens.
What really annoys me is the sign on the wall at the bus depot on the Castlebar to Ballina that says "this is the beginning of an accessible town" when there was no planning for the old and disabled when carrying out work at Peter Street. I had the chance to visit a few cities in Europe last year and amongst them were Vienna (winners for the most accessible city in Europe for 2011) and Salzburg winners in 2012 and this was done by NO tactile something we in Ireland feel is needed. How many people with disabilities have approached anyone here at this meeting requesting more tactile or have any of you tried to manoeuvre a wheelchair on them.
So as you prepare for your coming budget why not consider the true experts on access and listen to what they have to say and bring them aboard like they do in other countries that get it right and forget about your pride because some of us voted for you. We were born by illness or accident, but we are handicapped by the environment.
OUR MOTTO IS: "Nothing about us without us"
Kind regard
Thomas Chambers
Access Campaigner
The Billy Ranch
Newport
Mayo
Email: thomaschambers@eircom.net
www.thomaschambers.blogspot.com
086 35520407
0899674346
098 41545
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