‘Every local authority in Ireland should have a dedicated Access and Inclusion Officer’ – IWA urges nationwide action after Sligo vote

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Irish Wheelchair Association has welcomed a decision by Sligo local councillors to unanimously pass a motion, tabled by Cllr Gino O’Boyle at a recent Council meeting, calling for an Access and Inclusion Officer position in Sligo County Council.

Rosaleen Lally, National Access Programme Manager with Irish Wheelchair Association, thanked councillors in Sligo County Council for getting behind the campaign and using their position to improve disability access in Sligo.

“We are pleased that Sligo County Council passed this motion to support an Access and Inclusion Officer role in the council,” said Rosaleen Lally, IWA.

“We know that people with disabilities cannot use many public buildings, paths, pedestrian crossings, bus stops, train stations, parks and beaches etc. in our communities across Ireland,” said Rosaleen.

“Every local authority in Ireland should have a dedicated Access and Inclusion Officer in their organisation to focus on solving some of these problems. Thanks to Councillors in Sligo we are a step closer today.”

Cllr O’Boyle’s motion before the April meeting of Sligo County Council read as follows: “That Sligo County Council identifies a funding source for the appointment of a dedicated, full-time and fully resourced Access and Inclusion Officer. This motion formally supports the Irish Wheelchair Association’s Access It’s No Joke Campaign, which highlights the critical need for a dedicated professional in every local authority to improve disability access to public services and amenities in our communities.

“This appointment is sought to ensure the Council fully meets its statutory obligations under Section 26 of the Disability Act 2005 and to align with the European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020.”

In late March, IWA contacted local councillors across Ireland as part of its campaign to improve access to local services and amenities for people with disabilities and mobility issues. The campaign highlighted that 81% of local authorities do not have a dedicated Access Officer appointed to make public services and amenities more accessible.

“We know that many local authorities have ‘Access Officers’ but often these are simply additional job titles that are given to existing busy staff,” according to Rosaleen Lally, Irish Wheelchair Association. “Our local authorities have dedicated hardworking staff, but they cannot fix problems without budget and resources,” added Rosaleen. “That’s why this motion is so important because it acknowledges the need for dedicated staff and budget.

Sligo is one of the councils in ten counties that have already passed the motion to support IWA’s campaign since April, including Longford, Waterford, Mayo, Kerry, Kilkenny, Carlow, Cavan, Galway, and Tipperary. Irish Wheelchair Association is hoping for more nationwide support over the coming months as representatives from 23 out of 25 county councils, that have reached out to Irish Wheelchair Association to support the organisation’s call for local dedicated Access & Inclusion Officers.

“It’s really encouraging to see what we can achieve for people with disabilities in our community when we work together. We are grateful for the support from Sligo councillors, and we are hopeful for progress around the county in the coming weeks” says Rosaleen Lally.

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.