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Transcript of Barcelona Declaration Project Monaghan County Council Presentation to Closing Conference of...
Barcelona Declaration Project
Monaghan County Council
Presentation to Closing Conference of Barcelona Declaration Project
19th April 2004by
Siofra Kilcullen, Community and Enterprise Development Officer
Barcelona Declaration Project
Establishing a baseline for Impact
Assessment
County Monaghan
Barcelona Declaration in Monaghan
• Endorsement of Barcelona Declaration by five Town Councils and County Council in July 2002
• Underlying objective ‘to promote more favourable conditions for the full development of persons, avoiding or removing all causes that prevent such development’
Monaghan Context
• 8% pop. with disability (CSO 2002)• Strong community infrastructure -
62 voluntary disability groups• Network of Disability Groups
established to address policy issues
• Social Inclusion Measures Group• July 2003 – Pilot Action
Aims of Monaghan Pilot Action
• Develop a consultative process using an audit of council’s projects and actions as a basis for this process
• Develop a model of good practice for local authorities involving people with disabilities and disability advocates
Steps in process1. Establish a multi-sectoral audit
team2. Train team3. Agree thematic priorities that
should be included in audit4. Establish multi- sectoral sub-
groups to examine each theme5. Make recommendations based on
output from audit i.e. action plan6. Put in place on-going monitoring
mechanism7. Continually assess the
implementation of action plan
Multi-sectoral audit team
Elected Members
(Town and County reps)
LocalAuthority
Staff
AdvocatesPWD
Network
Monaghan Team members• Officials
Carmel Thornton, Corporate Affairs
Joan Ryan, Workplace Partnership
Maire Cullinan, Planning
Roisin Nic An Iarla, Roads
Ann Murray Housing
Paul Clarke, Building Control
Geraldine Murphy, Personnel
Siofra Kilcullen, Community & Enterprise
Lisa Mc Bride, IS
Jonathon Kelly, Website
• Advocates & PWD & Network
Mary Mc Kenna, DFI
Fiona Hoey, MS
Joe Lynch, Disability Network
Karon Edmondson, NEHB
James Doorly DFIMalachy Marron, Steadfast HouseAnn Mc Farland, NTDICathriona Mc Kee, Service UserVictoria Groom, SESRegina Tinnelly, Mon Partnership
• CllrsPatsy Treanor MCC Sheila Mc Kenna, MCCSean Conlon, Monaghan TC Pat Treanor, Clones TCRosaleen O Hanlon, MCCMatt Carty, Carrickmacross TCGary Carville, Castleblayney TC
Role of group members• Officials
– to ensure all information regarding policy and procedures are made available to team
• Advocates and PWD – to highlight issues affecting PWD in
Monaghan and to feedback to the Disability Network
• Elected Members – maintain profile of issues in local media
and at local council level and ensure ring fencing of budgets for accessibility etc
• All – identify, collate and develop
recommendations based on audit
Four stages in audit process
• Data identification • Data Collection• Analysis of results• Recommendations/ action plan
Data Identification : Thematic priorities for audit
• Housing and Accommodation• Roads Transport and Mobility• Planning and the Physical Environment• Employment and Recruitment Practices• Building Control and Access to
Buildings• Communications and IT• Corporate Policy
Data Identification: Audit questions under each thematic priority
• What is the current position?• What measures are put in place to
address access issues?• How are project/policies disability
proofed?• Who is responsible for decision making?• What measures are in place to ensure
participation of people with disabilities in decision making?
• What awareness raising measures are being undertaken?
Data collection process
• Multi-sectoral subgroups established involving PWD, Advocates, Cllrs and Staff
• Desk Research – Directory of Services
• Basic training in research methods• Interviews conducted with relevant
personnel • Disability Network participated in
focus group on ‘communications with Local Authority’
Data Collection Process
• Existing Council policy presented to group e.g. Housing Strategy, Road Traffic Management Guidelines, County Development Plan
• Interviews with builders and designers Website test group
• Access surveys conducted by Disability Federation of Ireland in all towns in County
Data Analysis and Recommendations
• Series of workshops on output from audit to decide actions
• On-going process as new policies emerge
• Action Plan currently being finalized
• Many sections of local authority have already integrated recommendations into policies and procedures
Measures taken to date
• Website is in process of being adapted
• Consultative seminars on voluntary housing
• Consultation in relation to County Development Plan
• Roads section undertaking a number of actions (more details later)
• Including requirement to demonstrate universal access in Design Briefs issued to contractors
Measures taken to date
• Linkages established between human resource section of the local authority, NTDI and Supported Employment Service
• Integration of a disability proofing template in assessment process for allocation of funding under PEACE II Taskforce
• Customer care plan produced in braille, audio-visual and electronic formats
Roads Section prior to project
• Lack of Awareness of PWD Needs• Absence of complete Guidelines• No emphasis placed on catering for PWDs• Roads Engineers based in 6 different Offices, all
with different experiences and background knowledge
• Lack of Co-Ordination
Prior to This…..
Dropped Kerbs Uncommon in Rural Villages
Prior to This…..
Pedestrian Facilities Often Inadequate
-Unsuitable Width
-Unsuitable Locations
-Often completely overlooked
Roads Department
Barcelona Project….• Built on Publication of Traffic
Management Guidelines • Increased Awareness of Issues
affecting PWD• Raised Design Issues• Encouraged co-ordinated and
consistent design standards
Roads Department
Roads Department are now…
• Taking into account surveys conducted by Monaghan Barcelona Project Working Group
• Reviewing existing facilities• Upgrading existing facilities where appropriate• Considering facilities in new scheme design
(eg – Monaghan Town Pay Parking Scheme)• Receiving first-hand feedback from PWD about
existing facilities
Roads DepartmentOne Example – Disabled Parking Space, Citizens
Advice Bureau, Monaghan Town
- Existing Parking Bay Enlarged to comply with Building For Everyone Guidelines- Dropped Kerb provided for entire length of Parking Bay: Above Guideline Specifications- High Visibility Signage provided
IS Department – Barcelona Declaration Project: OLD WEBSITE
• The navagation system used picture/icons to convey hyperlinks.
• High level links not available on every page.
• Hyperlinks are not standard colour and are not descriptive.
• Background is dark and text is not always easily legible.
Housing Section
• Organisation of information sharing seminars
• Improved identification of housing need for PWD
• Interagency and intersectoral co-operation
IS Department – Barcelona Declaration Project:NEW WEBSITE
Site Contrast • The new site
has a standard white background and contrasting dark coloured text for general content.
Final Steps in development of Action Plan
Integration of Indicators Present to the County Council
and five Town Councils of draft Action Plan
Public Consultation Approval of final plan
Added Value of conducting pilot action
• Provides a cohesive policy framework for local authority to address universal access principles
• It links real local needs to local policy• Has tangible results• Creates new linkages between
officials, PWD, advocates and elected members
• Highlights where real barriers to access are
• More informed decision-making for all
Challenges • On-going commitment by all to
implementation and monitoring• Need to acknowledge diversity within
the disability sector• Need to ensure all disability sectors are
included in policy development• Need to address blockages to access at
a national level e.g. weakness in legislation
• Need for more initiatives nationally to change public attitudes e.g. penalty points