Plans to make Derry and Strabane a more 'visually aware space' welcomed
Derry City and Strabane District Council members have welcomed plans to make the region more accessible for blind and visually impaired people.
Following an earlier council motion to make the district a “visually aware space, through the provision of training, information and best practice guidelines to civic institutions and local businesses”, members were presented with a draft action plan at this month’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee meeting.
Lead Democratic Services and Improvement Officer, Ellen Cavanagh, said the plan “encapsulates a number of activities being / to be progressed across the Council” to support the objective of a visually aware city and district. The plan will be reviewed on an annual basis.
Activities include awareness training for elected members and diversity ambassadors, service forums involving people who are blind or partially sighted, and promotional material for sight loss awareness and promotion of good practice.
Ms Cavanagh said: “We have been engaging with RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) and the DIAL (Design Innovation for Assisted Living) Centre at the North West Regional College in order to promote training and improve awareness of the challenges faced by people who are blind or personally sighted, ultimately with the aim of improving access to their services.”
Sinn Féin councillor Sandra Duffy said the plan was particularly relevant to her, as a partially-sighted person, and council’s work with RNIB was “really powerful in moving things forward”.
She added: “I would like to comment on the the work undertaken in the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium for [visually impaired] people to enjoy a football match, but there are still challenges out there to ensure that people understand the challenges people face.”
SDLP councillor Catherine McDaid said she took part in virtual reality training for visual impairment last year, which was “informative, but scary”.
She concluded: “There are so [many] tripping hazards that people with visual impairment just wouldn’t see, so I’d recommend anyone who hasn’t got on it to get in touch with RNIB and get it done.
“Angel Eyes NI has been working towards QR codes in restaurants too, [so it is] really good to see that happen at a quick pace.”
Andrew Balfour,
Local Democracy Reporter.