By Paul Hogan, Designer, IDD Ireland

Five Irish Municipalities have signed Declaration – more to come

Since 1973, Ireland has achieved steady economic progress. From being one of the poorest countries in Western Europe, it now enjoys a per capita income well above the European average. It has become a manufacturer of hi-tech products and the second largest exporter of software in the world. Recently, the Tainiste (deputy prime minister) said that the problem now was how to spend this new-found wealth to the benefit of the youngest population in Europe.

A coalition of interests is trying to ensure that government spending conforms to Design for All principles and that the interests of people with disabilities and other minorities are taken into consideration. Chief among these are the Institute for Design and Disability, IDD, and the Royal Institute of the Architects in Ireland, supported by the disability movement.

Recent Irish legislation has reflected the EC Amsterdam Treaty and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities reported in 1996 and made 402 recommendations for change in the environment of Irish citizens with a disability. The Employment Equality Act 1998 and The Equal Status Act 2000, both important pieces of anti-discrimination law followed this.

The perfect Instrument

However, the chosen vehicle of the Design for All campaigners is the Barcelona Declaration. Cearbhall O Meadhra, chairman of the IDD, says, "It is the perfect instrument for introducing the concept of Design for All into the mainstream of local government."

The declaration was launched at the international conference, The City and the Disabled, held in Barcelona in April 1995. A major event attended by people from all over Europe. At the conclusion of the conference, 56 mayors and chairpersons of European municipalities signed the Declaration in person and a further 86 indicated their intention to sign. The first Irish signatory was the Mayor of Drogheda, Mr. Tom Godfrey.

As of July 2000, 320 cities and towns from 13 European countries have adhered to what is generally regarded as the most important European convention on accessibility.

Wide Range of Actions

The Declaration is a simple but powerful document. It has no legal force but, by committing municipal authorities to a wide range of actions, it is a major instrument of change. For example, an adhering city or town undertakes to produce a plan for the implementation of the Declaration and to establish structures for ongoing consultation with people with disabilities and their representatives.

In Ireland, the Declaration was launched at the City and Town for All conference in May 1999 at which the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Senator Joe Doyle, announced that his city would sign. The effects have been far-reaching. Dublin Corporation architects promote universal acess principles in the design of buildings and an overall objective of the city’s development plan is to ensure that all streets, public buildings, places of entertainment, etc. are fully accessible to all. This has now been underpinned by revised building regulations, which provide that all newly constructed private dwellings must be visitable by people with disabilities.

Fionnuala Rogerson, an architect working in the area of housing, is doubtful about this latest provision. "I think there should be one set of regulations covering the usability of buildings and that provisions for people with disabilities should be mainstreamed," she says.

The Focus shifts

In the past year, three other major municipalities, Limerick, Wexford and Sligo have adopted the Declaration and are in the process of completing the formalities of registration. The focus now shifts to the smaller towns. Cearbhall O Meadhra’s objective is to persuade all of them to adhere to the Declaration.

Of course, signing is one thing, effective action is another and to help municipal authorities implement the undertakings of the Barcelona Declaration, the IDD offers seminars to engage and inform on these issues.

This is a major undertaking of at least two years duration and the IDD is presently in discussion with the Government to secure the necessary funding. The indications are positive.

Graham Shepherd, who heads up the IDD unit responsible for the implementation of the Declaration, has no doubts. "My discussions with Ministers and other high government officials indicate that the administration is wholly serious about accessibility and the implementation of Design for All principles throughout Ireland," he says.

Published in Crisp & Clear No. 4, December 2000