Public Participation Network Feedback Form –Access CommitteeMeeting

Public Participation Network Development Officer:Siobhan Cronogue

Date:17.05.17

Meeting Agenda

  1. Minutes of last meeting.
  2. Matters arising
  3. Updates from service users and providers
  4. Updates from Longford County Council
  5. Organisation of mobility audits in Longford Town, Ballymahon and Granard
  6. A.O.B

Present: Fergus Reynolds (IWA), Samantha Thomson(IWA), Pat Maloney (St. Christopher’s), Agnes Agnew (Active Retirement Chairperson), Ita Donlon (Active Retirement Secretary), Linda Fahy (NCBI), Maria Keelty (NCBI)

In Attendance: Frank Horne, Access Officer Longford County Council, Siobhán Cronogue, County Longford Public Participation Network (PPN)

Apologies: Stephan Garland (MS Society)

Presentations: Yes / No

Agenda item / Member / Discussion
Item 1 / Matters arising / The same matters arising from Meeting minutes 02.02.17 were highlighted again in updates from service users and providers. See item 2
Each organisation present introduced themselves and gave a brief synopsise of their work.
A discussion took place on access issues around the town and County. Each organisation represented at the meeting agreed on issues that need to be addressed immediately for safe access through the town forthose with mobility issues, the visually impaired and blind, those with intellectual disabilities, older persons (list not exclusive).
Action needs to be taken not just discussed to ensure all residents in Longford town and surrounding County have a quality of life that allows them to move safely and freely enabling all to shop, go to work, access the Cathedral, the Mall complex, cross all roads and streets safely, live independently and be consulted at all stages of the various developments that Longford County Council and other decision making bodies undertake.
Below is a list of issues all attendees agreed on:
  • Raised manholes need to be lowered
  • The timing of Traffic Lights at Boots Pharmacy needs to be corrected. Not enough time for people with mobility issues to cross
  • Cathedral steps – front steps are not supported by hand rails.
  • There should be yellow markings on the steps of Cathedral. Steps at altar are the one colour so it’s impossible for the visually impaired to recognise the next step.
  • Entrance to medical centre at the Cathedral is not wheelchair friendly
  • Bank of Ireland is also not wheelchair friendly or pram/buggy friendly for Mothers
  • There needs to be a footpath on the Longford Arms Hotel side of Richmond street.
  • Richmond Street is a major concern as the speed of cars breaking the lights coming around the corner don’t give anyone with mobility issues a chance to get safely across the road. Also, the beeps from the audio box are too low for those with hearing difficulty’s
  • Bubble pavement runs right to the wall of the Longford Arms Hotel which is confusing for the visually impaired and blind.
  • Disabled Parking spaces/ pedestrian crossings need to be repainted
  • Double parking in the town is an issue
  • The crossing on Park Road was supposed to be competed by November 2016 but work has not yet started.
  • A bollard needs to be removed at the shop on Park Road to allow access for mobility scoters
  • Audio boxes at traffic lights are not loud enough e.g.at St. Christopher’s
  • Footpath are GALA needs attention
  • Interlocking pavementis a hazard, as it has come loose and is a health & safety issue not just for people with challenges but the ordinary public.
  • There is a need for a crossing at John Browns pub to provide access to the Market Square and on Little Water Street.
  • The footpath outside Demacs Harbour Row is a bad condition

Item 2 / Updates from Services Users and Providers
ACTIONS AGREED:
  1. Follow up on whenbusiness signs and obstacles willbe removedfrom footpaths in Longford Town allowing safe mobility access. This was agreed at the full Council Meeting 10 .05.17. Action: Siobhán Cronogue
  1. Follow up on crossing at Park Road. Action: Frank Horne
  1. Invite Paddy Mahon, County manager and relevant Council Staff e.g. engineer, planner to do an access audit of the town. This will be carried out by one staff member using a wheelchair/ mobility scoter, one staff member being blind folded, one partially blind folded etc. Staff will be accompanied by service users and those who know first-hand what it means to try and manoeuvre through the town with a disability. Action: Frank Horne
  1. Contact the Garda Siochana for their assistance prior to carrying out access audit. Action: Frank Horne
  1. Raise the above issues with PPN Representatives on relevant Council and outside decision making bodies.Action: Siobhán Cronogue
  1. Ask Senior Management Longford County Council if they can allocate a budget to improve mobility access. Action:Frank Horne
  1. Get a commitment to a timeline for the above issues to be addressed. Action:Frank Horne
  1. Contact the Church administrators of St Mel’s Cathedral again in relation to major difficulties listed in the report produced by NCBI and IWA on 25/3/2015. This report was produced by service users from both disability organisations with the assistance of Trisha O’Shaughnessy, Community Resource Worker with the NCBI, Frank Horne Access Officer Longford County Council. Fergus Reynolds requested a meeting 6 weeks ago but has not yet received a response. This issue is now being raised at every access meeting by all service users.
  1. Raise awareness of the day to day obstacles that people with disabilities must overcome to go shopping, work or socialise. Action: All
General Comments: All attendees agreed that there was a growing feeling of frustration that so many simple things could be done to make life easier for all. Some examples were giving by those in attendance:
Samantha Thomson a service user of IWA said she was supposed to be using her wheelchair when shopping, attending meetings etc. but because she has to undertake these tasks on her own she has to leave her wheelchair at home and use crutches. This is the only way she can access shops, footpaths, buildings etc.
Pat Maloney spoke of the difficulty of service users in St. Christopher’s being able to manoeuvre through the town safely. He pointed out that one of the service users in attendance had taken a fall in the town the week before. He also commented on the numerous access audits and reports that have been carried out and produced over the last 20 years with very little action taken. The other members agreed with this and stated that there was no point in carrying out more audits unless there was commitment from Longford County Council that items listed would be acted and followed up on.
Agnes Agnew, Active Retirement spoke of some of their members having hip and knee replacements which now means they need to use walking sticks etc. and the issues raised above make normal day tasks next to impossible.
Fergus Reynoldshighlighted that €30m was spent on the Cathedral and another €5m is planned to be spent. He pointed out that the majority of people attending mass in the Cathedral are middle to older persons and there was no consultation done with disability/older personswhen plans were being developed and its these people who are now living with the access issues.
Maria Keelty also pointed out that the glass doors in the Cathedral need bigger marking signs on them as they are impossible to see for those who are visually impaired. She also noted that NCBI had undertaken a series of work (walk about audit, photographs) which produced a report on January 26th,2015 identifying access issues and although action was taken on 3 or 4 itemsfrom the report there was still a huge amount of work to be done.
Frank Horne told the committee that he has arranged to meet with Traffic Wardens to tackle parking issues causing problems for people with disabilities. This is an issue that can have immediate results with no cost to Longford County Council.
All committee members agreed that they needed confirmation from Longford County Council of items they would commit to addressing, a timeframe and the name of the Council staff responsible for ensuring the work was completed.
Abbreviations:
IWA – Irish Wheelchair Association
NCBI - National Council for the Blind Ireland
PPN – Public Participation Network

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