Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 3 Jun 1998

Vol. 491 No. 6

Written Answers. - Rights of People with Disabilities.

Donal Carey

Question:

230 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the number of measures which her Department has enacted referring to people with disabilities; the date of their passing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12832/98]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

Generally speaking, the offices, visitor centres, cultural institutions and other public buildings under the direct control of my Department are accessible to people with disabilities. In a number of cases where this is not possible, investigations are ongoing with a view to taking steps to improve the situation. My Department is also committed to ensuring that the design of any new offices and visitor centres will mean that such facilities will be fully accessible.

Not all national monuments in State care are accessible to people with disabilities and those that are accessible to persons with one category of disability would not necessary be accessible to those with a different disability. Where specialist visitor facilities are provided, every effort is made to provide access for such people consistent with the overriding need not to interfere with the integrity of the monument. Where there are restrictions, these are generally adverted to in the free booklet, entitled Heritage Sites — Opening Hours and Admission Charges which is published each year for the information of intending visitors by the Education and Visitor Service of my Department.

A number of initiatives have been undertaken by my Department to improve the service to those with disabilities. For instance, training in disability awareness is ongoing throughout the Department. National Museum attendants in Collins Barracks receive extensive training in dealing with people with disabilities in association with the National Rehabilitation Board. The National Museum's exhibitions at Collins Barracks feature several reproduction artefacts which are tactile and directional information outside lifts is in braille. In the National Gallery all staff are trained in disability awareness and a member of its Education Department is in charge of Disability Services and is available to provide assistance and answer queries. Also in the National Gallery an induction-loop has been installed in the lecture threatre gallery for people with impaired hearing. A bi-lingual access guide to the services and facilities in the National Gallery is also available in braille. It lists general services available to people with disabilities and also lists services for specific disabilities. Public tours of the gallery for people with impaired sight using Tactile Picture Sets and for people with impaired hearing using an interpreter take place monthly.

One of the conditions which my Department has attached to the 39 projects which have been approved for funding under the cultural development incentives scheme 1994-9 is that the end product be fully accessible to people with disabilities. This means that a whole range of arts and culture facilities being developed or refurbished under the scheme will be fully accessible to people with disabilities.