Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.
Finian McGrath
Ceist:
1342
Mr. F. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
if her Department will consider proposals (details supplied) from the deaf and hard of hearing and urge the support of these recommendations as part of the European Year of People with Disabilities.
[19796/03]
My Department is constantly seeking new ways of improving access to information on social welfare schemes and services for those with special needs, including deaf and hard of hearing citizens.
Last April my Department published the information services strategy 2003-2006. It contains a commitment to meeting the information needs of all our customers including those with special needs.
My Department has already implemented a number of the recommendations referred to by the Deputy. They include: arrangements have been put in place to evaluate all our forms and leaflets and ensure that they meet the information requirements of all our customers, including those with special needs; the customer service training programme which was delivered to over 2,600 departmental staff included a module with specific material on deaf awareness; we also sup port and facilitate staff who wish to pursue sign language training and to date a number of staff have availed of it; and we have introduced a video technology initiative to help people with hearing difficulties access our services. This facility is based in the social welfare local office in Cork and operates in co-operation with the Cork Association for the Deaf and the National Association for the Deaf; my Department's website, which is fully compliant with international disability standards, has a link to the National Association for Deaf People (Ireland) and we also have an e-mail address,info@welfare.ie, for social welfare inquiries; the installation of counter loop systems is included as part of the planned upgrade of all of our local offices. Four offices, have so far been upgraded with the counter loop system; and a working group on customer service communications set up by the Department in August 2002 has made a number of recommendations aimed at improving access for people with hearing difficulties.
To mark the European Year of People with Disabilities I approved funding towards the cost of a delegation of deaf people and two interpreters attending the World Deaf Conference in Canada this year. This conference covered presentations on literacy, education, human rights, language, culture and health. In addition, I have recently provided a grant of €40,000 to the Irish Deaf Society for research into poverty in the deaf community and I await the research findings with interest.
Comhairle, which operates under the aegis of my Department, is committed to the delivery of fully accessible information, advice and advocacy services for all citizens. It continues to ensure that its information products and services are disability, poverty and equality proofed. Publications are currently available in a variety of formats and the production of information videos in Irish sign language is being pursued. Comhairle offices and the network of citizens information centres around the country have portable loop systems installed.
I am satisfied that considerable progress has been made towards meeting the needs of deaf and hard of hearing citizens and every effort will continue to be made to put the recommendations for deaf access referred to into effect, where practicable.
