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Equality and Access

��� Report of SDEF Members� Meeting, Friday 5th April 2002, Perth

1.Setting the Scene � Report from SDEF Convenor

Elma Mitchell MBE

My name is Elma Mitchell, Convenor of SDEF.I am delighted to welcome so many of you here today and thank you for coming.�� For those who have the original agenda I have to apologise changes have had to be made, mainly due to the fact that the Ministers from the Scottish Parliament we had invited were unable to come to address us and participate in our discussions.Thus the time from 11.10 � 11.30, when we will welcome our guest speaker Anne Begg MP will be used very profitably I have no doubt, to set the stage of what we, as your elected management committee, have been doing on your behalf.��

There is a saying there is no such thing as a free meal and this is definitely true today.We intend that the day will fall into 2 parts,one to update on where we are, and the other looking to the future.Perhaps I should explain that today is a day for participation, and we would like you all to contribute and exchange ideas, and give us guidance of where you would like to go from here.

I would ask those of you who have been with us from the start to bear with me for a few minutes until I fill in a short background.Since the demise of Disability Scotland in 2000, SDEF struggled to survive until the middle of 2001 when the Scottish Executive allocated funding for our conference in Dunblane in July 2001 and for a 6-month period until October.�� This was continued for another period until April 2002.�� A review process was set up and we had 2 meetings with civil servants from the Community Care Division and Equality Unit in November/December.� �While we welcome this response, it has not really allowed us to develop as we would have liked and hoped. Nevertheless we have stressed that, if we are to initiate and implement long term aims and achievements, we must have the certainty of sufficient and long term funding.�� Representatives of the committee have another meeting with the Executive next week when we hope that we will receive a definitive decision on the future.�

PROGRESS since our last get together in September

We have increased our membership and updated the web site regularly.

We have had a joint meeting with the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance and John Stirling from the Scottish Executive, looking at the possibility of co-operating with putting on a mobility show in 2003 � this is on-going.

We are members of the Cross Party Parliamentary Group on Disability where I have been made one of the vice-conveners.

The main priority coming out of our September meeting was access in its widest form.This was reported to the Scottish Executive during our meeting in December and a research report was commissioned looking into the work of access panels.I expect some of you here today were asked to complete the questionnaire, and participated in an telephone interview. SDEF were represented on the research steering group by Jim Bryan and Valerie Robertson. Philippa Bonella from SCVO, who managed the research, will discuss the research project later in this session.

I would like to stress, that as your management committee, we reply on you for guidance, and I want us all to work together to make the SDEF the success we know it can and must be.We need your support, not just at these get togethers, very enjoyable, pleasant and important though they are, but in between as well.As individuals we are limited in what we can achieve, but together we can move mountains � maybe even Government policies.�

For instance we have responded to several consultations: -

  • Building regulations

  • Community Care������ ��

  • Mobility and Access Committee (Transport)

  • Carrying Guide and other assistance dogs in taxis.���

  • Taking stock with the Equal Opportunities Committee of the Scottish Parliament

  • Disability in Schools and Pupil�s records���������

  • Blue Badge Review.

I expect that many of your organisations would have sent in your own responses to all or some.In addition, in the future could we ask you to send them also to us to be incorporated in a combined response?

Newsletters����

Please let us know if you find our newsletters of interest.If not why not?What would you want included?We would urge you to send in any articles for inclusion, any amusing incidents and experiences you would like to share (e.g. a lovely new ramp which ends in a step, or wheelchair accessible toilet, up or down steps); any items of good practice you think should be shared in other areas (or the opposite).Perhaps good eating places and accommodation in your area.All contributions gratefully received.

Future

As a starting point I would like to float the following ideas your management committee have been discussing.

1.����������������� Picking up and improving the idea of IT development and offering appropriate support to smaller organisations who do not have the time or expertise to exploit the benefits of technology.

2.����������������� Following on from access in general, we feel it is important to focus on accommodation/ hotels and visitor attractions, especially in view of the fast approaching 2004 and the impact of DDA.I think this is something, which would be of mutual benefit to both ourselves as customers, or potential customers, and for the providers.We feel that, with the co-operation and in partnership with the tourist authorities, we could provide the impetus to prepare guides disabled people could rely on and offer assistance and advice.This arose from the fact that we have been receiving rather disturbing news that many providers are still unaware of the implications of DDA.��

You will have received a handout of a question raised in the Scottish Parliament.We would like to have your reaction to this and how we should or should not reply.

Perhaps you could think about these and any other leads you would like us to follow up and if possible give us your views on these or any other subjects and issues you feel we should highlight and pursue.

Access Panels Research � Philippa Bonella

Philippa Bonella summarised the work of the research project commissioned by the Scottish Executive.The research aimed, in a short space of time, to identify existing panels (and areas where there were no panels) and gather information on the activities of panels and what level of funding and support they receive.The researcher interviewed panel members, local authority Access Officers, Building Control Officers, and representatives of local disability organisations.

The researcher worked with a steering group made up of 5 representatives from 3 national disability networks, including 2 from SDEF, as Elma had already mentioned.The steering group helped shape the research tools and identify key contacts.It also agreed the final report and recommendations.These have now been delivered to the Scottish Executive and it is hoped that the outcomes of the research will be made available to interested parties.

Question and Answer Session

Two key issues came out in this session:

  • The need to work closely with professionals such as architects at the earliest possible stage, not after buildings are built.
  • Organisations must come together to influence building regulations.Current minimum standards are not good enough.

2.A User�s View of Transport - Anne Begg MP

Anne Begg began by discussing the work of access panels.She believes panels have an important future with 2004 looming.Part IV of the DDA is a big issue for many service providers which are not keen to make changes.

She felt that access panels should work closely with the professions.In most areas architects have a local network working towards their Continuous Professional Development.It is useful to seek to speak to this network, using the imminence of 2004 as a tool.

For her, it is most insulting when places try to make things accessible and get it wrong � this is worse than not trying at all.The real experts � disabled people � must be involved to get it right.

Anne moved on to talk about transport.She reminded us that transport is substantially more accessible than it was 15 years ago.There is now one wheelchair-friendly Scotrail sleeper! Transport is being gradually brought under the DDA and new trains and buses now have to conform to accessibility standards.

She challenged delegates not to complain about wheelchair spaces being used by prams.The more people who can benefit from increased accessibility, the more it makes more economic sense for providers to adapt their stock.�� Older people and babies need accessible transport too and can help the accessibility argument.

Although accessibility has been improving, expectations continue to grow at a faster rate � which is quite right.There is still much to be done to make transport fully accessible.Planes are not covered by national legislation and are under no obligation to become accessible.Only European or even global legislation could deal with this properly.

Government can do a certain amount to achieve change but must be pushed from behind.

Anne left us with a final challenge � what about all the old transport stock?Although new stock is better, old stock does not need to be adapted � and it may last for 40 years before it needs to be replaced.The disability movement needs to lobby for an end-date at which point all transport stock must be accessible.We need a single voice on this issue, and we need to start working on it now.

Discussion

The discussion following from Anne�s talk focused on:

  • the rights and wrongs of government needing to be lobbied to achieve change rather than leading from the front
  • the need for enforcement of disabled spaces in trains/buses/carparks.

3.An Overview of Accessible Tourism - Hamish Reid, Visitscotland

Hamish Reid opened his talk by saying that in many ways, accessible tourism suffers from the �watched kettle� syndrome.There has been some improvement over the past few years, but expectations always rise faster.No radical overnight change is likely.

Visitscotland has devised a set of national accessible standards for Scotland in consultation with the �Tourism for All� consortium.These are currently being revised to include sensory impairment and other elements which were not originally included.

Visitscotland feels that tourism businesses do have a better understanding of the DDA than previously.A great deal of information on the DDA is available on the Scottish Tourist Forum website.An accessibility audit package has been provided for all Tourist Information Centres.

Visitscotland is happy to support changes in the tourism market � as has been seen by its support of the new �backpacker� holiday companies � but from a Visitscotland perspective there is little evidence of frustrated demand for accessible tourism.

The Visitscotland website provides information on a huge range of facilities, including those which have attained the recognised accessible standards.These standards are the only way to be sure of accessibility.Hotels etc supply their own background information to the website, but the standards are independently awarded.

Hamish Reid closed by saying he would be happy to receive correspondence from any organisations who had concerns about accessible tourism.

Discussion

Many delegates expressed frustration at having tried to work with Visitscotland to achieve change, with no success and often with no response at all from Visitscotland.

Other key issues included:

  • disappointment that Visitscotland do not use qualified access auditors from the disability movement to assess premises for accessibility
  • most accessible hotels are among the more highly priced and therefore financially inaccessible to disabled people (Hamish Reid replied that the number of hotels gaining the standards was continuing to increase, so hopefully this situation would improve)
  • local Tourist Boards do not seem to be aware of the need for accessibility
  • problems with the Pets Passport system means that people taking guide dogs abroad have to come back via Heathrow to get the dogs checked by a vet � this adds considerable cost to any journey.(Anne Begg agreed to raise this with Ministers)
  • disability groups need to demand change, particularly by advancing the economic argument of the link between commercial gain and best practice.

SDEF have invited Hamish Reid to attend a committee meeting to discuss these issues in more detail.

4.Parallel sessions �

Transport

Brian Masson � Angus Transport Forum, Muriel Williams � SATA

Key points coming out of the transport workshop included:

  • the need for an integrated, door to door approach involving partnership of public, private and voluntary sector providers
  • the need for a mixture of specialised transport and accessible mainstream public transport
  • Angus acting as a pilot project for the European Union looking at integrated transport, to provide a report on the lessons learned for use elsewhere.

Tourism

Lisa Duggan � Fieldfare, Laura Thornton � Deep Sea World

Key points coming out of the tourism workshop included:

  • the importance of having one voice to lobby for accessible tourism
  • the need for joined-up policy-making (accessible tourism is no use without accessible transport)
  • the need for providers to consult with disabled people � conforming to building relations does not make an accessible facility
  • the need for accurate information on accessibility.

5.SDEF � the Future

Plenary debate

Key issues raised in the debate:

  • SDEF should not aim to provide specialised services for individuals, but to campaign for equality of access to mainstream services.
  • SDEF should take up the issues raised in the discussions on tourism
  • SDEF should follow up the Blue Badge Review and ensure it is implemented.
  • SDEF should have a wide disability focus and include mental health issues and others.

The Convenor invited any member organisation to contribute specific ideas for SDEF�s future work in writing to the Secretariat.


Scottish Disability Equality Forum

Working together for the disability movement

SDEF is a recognised Scottish charity no. SC031893

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