Cllr Alan Curran (Social Democrats ) is calling for increased investment in disability services in the city. People with disabilities are among those most at risk of poverty, social exclusion and unemployment and regularly face barriers to transport, housing, education and training.
He said that disability services are a human right and transforming how they are delivered is a priority for me in the upcoming local elections.
“We need to put people with disabilities at the heart of all decisions, and ensure that they are consulted on every council decision that materially affects them”.
“The Galway City development plan references the need to ensure that our communities are accessible to all. Walkability audits need to be urgently rolled out in every community, identifying and removing obstacles that hinder the movement of people around our streets. That includes the removal of street signs and clutter, appropriate rules around outdoor dining ensuring that footpaths remain free of furniture, and we urgently need to maintain and fix our network of footpaths ensuring they are safe for anyone walking, pushing a buggy, wheelchair users or those using a mobility device”.
Cllr Curran is also requesting that the infrastructure for all public transport is accessible, as part of the upcoming BusConnects improvements.
“While every bus needs to have a wheelchair ramp, some of our bus stops are very poorly located without access to dropped kerbing, safe road crossings, and inadequate shelter against the elements.
Do we ever consult those within the disabled community to see how accessible our services are? Do all our housing stock and local authority offices meet universal design requirements? We need to do a lot better”.
