LED by the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI), Make Way Day returns to Clare this Friday. Make Way Day is a campaign that brings the disability and wider community together to consider the needs of people with disabilities in the public spaces we all share.
This year, DFI has developed an online tool that campaigners can use to test and rate their local area or 5k. The online tool is mobile friendly and can be used to draw attention to anything that is a barrier for people, meaning every corner of Ireland can be put to the test for basic access issues.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Councillor PJ Ryan, said, “Clare County Council is happy to work with DFI in supporting the roll-out of Make Way Day in County Clare. Make Way Day is an important campaign to increase public awareness of the obstacles and access issues experienced by people with disabilities in public spaces.”
Make Way Day focuses on individual responsibility, and the things we can all do to help our fellow citizens get from A to B.
The online tool empowers people with disabilities to survey their area for obstacles and rate its accessibility. It will give people the chance to share their frustrations by posting photos of obstacles to social platforms with the hashtag, #MakeWayDay21.
Martin Tobin, Chairperson, Clare Leader Forum, said, “Clare Leader Forum would like to work towards a more inclusive society where barriers are gone and where people with disabilities can live our lives to our fullest, on an equal basis.”
Members of Clare Leader Forum sit on Clare County Council’s Physical Development Strategic Policy Committee to input into policy development, while members of Clare Older People’s Council sit on the Clare Age Friendly Alliance Board to give focus to priority areas of the Clare Age Friendly Strategy.
The local authority say they are committed to consultation to ensure the views of people are at the heart of decision making when developing universally accessible public spaces and amenities.
Karen Fennessy, Clare Age Friendly Development Officer, Clare County Council, said, “County Clare has already made great progress in the improvements to accessibility through the delivery of consultative walkability studies of Ennis, Kilrush and Shannon using a Universally Designed Walkability Audit Tool developed by the National Disability Authority, National Transport Authority, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design and Age Friendly Ireland. The development of Ennis as the first Age Friendly Town in Clare is also a great achievement which we hope will improve the lives of our older citizens and people living with disabilities.”
The online Make Way Day tool will be available at www.makewayday.com on Friday. The aim of DFI is to coordinate the results to have one comprehensive map of access in Ireland.