'Shameful' new Portlaoise library lift excludes most wheelchair users

A flaw in the new €7.6 million Laois county library in Portlaoise has made half of it inaccessible to wheelchair users.

The "embarrassing" problem is down to a lift that is too small for most modern wheelchairs, a local councillor claims. 

The sleek two storey library was officially opened on Main Street in July 2023 after a decade of planning, finance and construction that was beset by delays.

The Laois branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association has now said that the first floor is inaccessable to between 80% and 95% of wheelchair users, who use larger modern self-propelled electric chairs that cannot fit in the lift.

However the council has no plan to replace the lift, with senior officials saying it met regulations when built. 

It means that the student study area, a community meeting room and canteen, reference section and art gallery are out of bounds for most people in wheelchairs.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley revealed what she slammed as a "disgraceful, shameful and embarrassing" design flaw, at the January meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District.

She said she was notified in recent weeks but the council was informed of the problem by the local branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association five months ago in early August 2023.

"80 to 95% of people in wheelchairs use the electric ones now. When you go into the lift, you can't turn so the door of the lift can't close. So it's not accessible.

"It was discovered on Make Way Day, ironically. That day is about people with disabilities and their needs in public spaces. The IWA had to notify the council that they couldn't attend a gathering there because of the lift," she said.

The problem will not be an easy fix.

"The lift shaft is concrete. It can't be changed," she said.

Laois County Council Director of Services for libraries Donal Library was informed by the IWA that the lift was too small, in an email seen by the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

They said "we were extremely disappointed that it is incredibly narrow and would not accommodate 80% of the wheelchair users attending our service. It is regrettable that secondary school students using wheelchairs can not currently avail of the study space as they use electric wheelchairs which will simply not fit safely on the lift, or if they do, will certainly not be able to come off it safely as there is no room for them to turn around."

They say they were not consulted during the design process, and said the previous library in Lyster Square had a much larger and accessible lift.

The Director in response said that the lift size met building regulations and a disability access certificate was granted for the library.

He said that other projects built after 2024 will follow new regulations for larger lifts. 

Cllr Dwane Stanley said she is disappointed with the response. 

She tabled a motion to the January meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District asking if it the lift was accessible, and the same response was given, this time from the County Librarian Bernie Foran.

She said that "the lift is suitable for wheelchair users... and a disability access certificate has been granted for the building".

"I really thought this was a joke. There is no common sense with this. How did we go from a lift that was accessible to a lift that isn't?" Cllr Dwane Stanley said.

The Director of Services with responsibility for the Portlaoise District is Simon Walton. 

"The intention is for the building to be fully accessible. If that needs to be addressed, we will address it," he said. 

The motion was seconded by Cllr Marie Tuohy.

"The library is fantastic and I'm sorry to say anything negative but this is extraordinary, it's mind blowing," she said.