Accessibility Activities 2007

ACCESSIBILITY AUDITS

Access audits have been completed for:

• All public buildings round the county
• All towns and villages within the speed limits
• Beaches and harbours within the control of Sligo County Council
• Most amenity areas
• Most burial grounds
  

EXCELLENCE THROUGH ACCESSIBILITY AWARDS

Sligo County Council entered it’s one-stop-shop Public Service Building Teach Laigne for the National Disability Authority sponsored Excellence through Accessibility awards and were successful in Category 3

Works Undertaken at teach Laigne included:

• Accessible cark parking space
• Alterations to handrails and ramp
• Automatic front doors
• Accessible PC, keypad and monitor
• Hearing loops in Library, Motor Tax, Area Office, Revenue
• Alarm in accessible toilet
• Evacuation procedures
• Improved signage
• Highlighting of hazards

It is proposed to enter our main County Hall building for the NDA award in 2008

FUNDING

€380,000 was received for capital and current works connected with accessibility. A multi-annual implementation plan was prepared concentrating on access to public building owned by Sligo County Council. An itemised list of improvement and current expenditure totalling €350,000 per annum is proposed for the next three years.

COMMUNICATION

Sligo County Council are striving to ensure that all publications by Sligo County Council are written as clearly and as jargon free as possible. Where practical and where funding permits we will provide information that is accessible in large print, easy-to read format, Braille, audio or other formats, if requested.

The Communications Office has commenced broadcasting podcasts on our web sites, giving news and information to people with visually impairment and other interested parties. The web-site also conforms to the accessibility requirements World Wide Web Consortium - WC3

CONSULTATION

Regular meetings with the Disability Consultative Committee took place in 2007. We also had regular meetings with the Implementation Team.

TRAINING

Some disability awareness training was carried out in 2007. We also trained staff members in the safe use of evacuation chairs in Teach Laighne and County Hall.