Disabled access ‘urgently needed’ – Local Sinn Fein Councillor | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Disabled access ‘urgently needed’ – Local Sinn Fein Councillor

Sinn Féin Councillor Terry Hearty has expressed his ‘concern and disappointment’ at what he described as DFI Roads Service’s “continued refusal to install much-needed disability access points and parking” in Crossmaglen.

The Slieve Gullion Councillor, who has been lobbying with his local DEA for over a year in order to get the services installed, says he is now looking at other options to increase the pressure on DFI.

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“It’s now over a year since we met with business and officials in Crossmaglen,” he said.

 

 

“We walked them around the town, showing them first hand how difficult it can be for disabled people to get around and marking where footpaths needed to be lowered for wheelchair access and disabled parking spaces needed to be installed.

“We made sure they were well aware of the high rate of disability in the area and the urgent need for these improvements to be made.

“Sadly, here we are a year later and our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” he continued.

 

 

“We are now looking at other ways of getting the disabled access points we need.

“For example, our MLA, Megan Fearon, has written to Disability Action to see if they can push DFI on the issue or recommend a course of action we can take to compel DFI to move.

“It’s hard to believe that in this day and age people with disabilities still can’t access simple services we all take for granted, such as the chemist, hotel or local shops without putting themselves in serious danger.

 

 

“It’s even harder to believe that the people who can do something about this aren’t bothered by that fact.

Councillor Hearty added, “Disability rights are human rights. We need action now.”

 

 

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Posted by on Oct 11 2019. Filed under Community, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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