Hennessy Kennedy highlights limited number of parking spaces for disabled in Birr

FIANNA Fáil Local Election candidate in the Birr/Ferbane Local Electoral Area, Audrey Hennessy Kennedy, has highlighted the very limited number of parking spaces available for the disabled in Birr town.

‘As someone who works in the disability sector, access issues and barriers that impact independent living, resonate strongly with me. I have seen at first hand the enormous extra difficulties that some wheelchair and mobility aid users can experience as they try to navigate and negotiate the roads and paths in our town,” she explains. “We live in a beautiful place and I believe that we should all be able to experience and enjoy it equally.”

Audrey remarked “the lack of disabled parking in and around Birr town is something that I would like to see addressed. I acknowledge the provision of designated parking in both squares and in our carparks, but it is very disappointing to say that there are no disabled parking spaces on the main street itself”. She continued “I believe that all wheelchair and mobility aid users, should have proper access to the many services and shops that are available on our main street. Without dedicated parking, this cannot always be achieved and that is simply not right or fair.”

“Attempting to attend a vital service, like your chemist shop, without the availability in the immediate vicinity, of a designated disabled parking space, can be so difficult,” she sid. “Add in then, the limited amount of footpath dishing throughout the length of the main street, cracked or broken paving, together with, the myriad of other obstacles on walkways that daily confront a wheelchair or mobility aid user and you can see a picture forming of how safe and easy passage from footpath or road to shops and services can, at times, be almost impossible to achieve and it frustrates me that it is this way. This has also been raised with me on my canvass and I am delighted, as a candidate, to highlight this concern. I would very much welcome the opportunity to positively contribute to bringing about a change,” she added.

Further Audrey remarked, ‘There needs to be a re-think in the way some of the services for the disabled are provided. Where possible, the testing process for advance flagging of potential accessibility issues, prior to projects being commissioned, should be strengthened and the priceless, direct input of service users, should always be obtained.

“Not only do we need more wheelchair accessible parking spaces around our town<” she added, “but also, in order for them to be truly beneficial, we must ensure that these spaces have the requisite clearance to enable proper deployment of ramps if one is driving a wheelchair accessible van or bus, regrettably this is not always the case. We must remember that the safety and dignity of the user must always be paramount,” she concluded.