Call for greater public awareness of the needs of people with disabilities in the public spaces we a
#MakewayDay is coming to a street near you in Fingal
Coming to the street where you live #MakeWayFingal
Fingal County Council is among 15 local authorities from across the country taking part in the first-ever national Make Way Day on Wednesday, September 26.
The local authorities and leading disability organisations have come together to call for greater public awareness of the needs of people with disabilities in the public spaces we all share.
The people of Fingal can expect a friendly sticker on #MakeWayFingal, Wednesday 26th September, reminding everyone to make way for people with disabilities.
Disability groups and organisations from all over the county will be out highlighting obstacles such as:
Cars or vans parked on a footpath blocking the way.
Bicycle/motorbikes chained to lampposts creating a trip hazard for a visually impaired person.
Illegally placed sandwich boards, forgotten bins, barrels and other obstructions.
A blitz of social media posts (videos, photographs) with the hashtags #MakeWayDay and #MakeWayFingal. Upload your photos and videos and call for national recognition of #MakeWayDay
They believe thoughtlessness and genuine lack of awareness is behind most instances of the behaviour that frustrates those with disabilities or mobility issues.
Among groups taking part in Fingal is the Centre for Independent Living in Blanchardstown.
Residents are also reminded that Route 4U, a free footpath navigation app and information system for wheelchair and pram users, can be downloaded for both iOS or Android devices. The disability initiative has been developed by Fingal County Council, in partnership with Dublin City Council and Enterprise Ireland.
The database is kept constantly up-to-date by volunteers who can either be able-bodied people who simply download the app and report obstacles they bump into or wheelchair users who switch on the “auto-survey” function as they roll along the footpaths, activating their phone sensors to collect data automatically.
Fingal County Council’s Access Officer Brian Buckley said: “Fingal County Council is delighted to be playing a part in Make Way Day. Make Way Day gives every single one of us an opportunity to be more mindful of the 13% of the Irish population who have a disability. Bringing in your bin early in the day, or clipping your hedge might not seem that important, but it’s a small action with a big impact for a neighbour, who otherwise might not be able to get down the street."
Mayor of Fingal Cllr Anthony Lavin said: “Accessibility also effects parents trying to get buggies and prams about our communities, so hopefully this initiative will help to make our community spaces more accessible to all our pedestrians whether they are disabled or not.“