Newcastle City Council

A group of This time last year saw the introduction of the Disability Equality Duty, a new law to  prevent disability-related discrimination and promote equal opportunities for disabled and Deaf people. At the same time, Newcastle City Council introduced its plan – A Fair City – to ensure all disabled and Deaf people in the city get a fair deal. Here we look at just a few of the things we’ve done since then to improve the lives of disabled and Deaf people in Newcastle.

Where shall we go?

You’ve got a bit of leisure time and you fancy going somewhere nice – but if you are disabled you want to know in advance how well your needs will be catered for. “It can be a hit-and-miss experience,” says Accessible Services Consultant, Rachel Archbold. “You don’t want to arrive at a cinema or restaurant and find there are too few places for people who use a wheelchair, or no accessible loos.”

Now the council is working with DisabledGo and disabled and Deaf people on a free online access guide. This will mean people can see at a glance what sorts of facilities a range of venues have, and decide whether to visit them. Independent accessibility researchers from DisabledGo are checking out buildings of all sizes across the city for information to go in the guide. “As part of this, DisabledGo will be giving information to the businesses taking part on making their premises more accessible,” adds Rachel. “Often it’s just a question of raising awareness, so that people understand how they may be excluding people without meaning to.” The guide will be launched on 20 November. You will be able to see it at www.disabledgo.info

Picture perfect

We asked children with disabilities and learning difficulties at Hadrian School to illustrate A Fair City for us.

We ran a picture competition on the theme of what they enjoy doing in their spare time, and got some fantastic entries. In the end, we picked 11 winners and runners-up. We framed the pictures and presented them during a special school assembly – they are now proudly displayed in the school hall.

Ready for your close-up?

Films starring, produced and directed by people with learning disabilities were showcased at a film festival with a difference this summer.

The free UCAN festival, sponsored and run by Newcastle Unison and the council, attracted about 400 people to the Empire cinema at The Gate. “It was fantastic to see myself on the screen. It made my day” said one happy visitor. “The event was a huge success, and gave people with learning disabilities a chance to show off their filmmaking skills,” says Rachel. “Next year it will be even bigger and better, hopefully running over two days and drawing in film-makers with a range of disabilities.”

Not all white now…

Artist and gallery owner Matt Forster created a new view in his loo after learning how he could improve things for disabled visitors.

Matt thought his gallery – The Art Works Galleries on Stepney Bank – was very accessible, until he had his visit from DisabledGo. “When you think about accessibility, you immediately think about
wheelchairs,” admits Matt. “The gallery is all on one level and is a huge space, so I felt confident it was easy to get around.” But Matt hadn’t factored in the needs of people with visual impairment, and his all-white accessible loo was just too hard to see. He was only too happy to put things right straight away, by painting the door frames a different colour, and giving the walls a coat of grey to make the fittings stand out.

“It was great to learn we could make such a difference, and so quickly and easily,” he says. “I hope now everyone who visits the gallery will feel welcome and catered for.”

Yes, that lamppost is talking to you…

People who are blind and partially sighted will soon be able to find their way around the city centre safely and independently, thanks to new talking lampposts.

The posts are being fitted with speakers, and users will carry a fob that activates the post to speak when they are within range. The message helps the user check where they are, and what else is nearby. “It’s the best navigational tool I have come across since tactile paving,” said one delighted user after testing the pilot system prior to its official launch.

Disability equality in the council

As a major employer and provider of services, we want to ensure we are doing what we can to prevent disability-related discrimination and provide opportunities for disabled and deaf people.

Our disability equality group meets every couple of months to look at any issues we need to address and help develop new projects. It is made up of council officers and representatives of disability organisations throughout the city. Group member and Learning Disability Partnership Board Co-ordinator Bill Norman says, “This group has given the partnership the chance to connect to and include the wider disability community in its work – for instance in areas like accessible information.”

“The group gives me the opportunity to develop my skills and experience in this field of work,” adds colleague Orla Reardon. Two current projects are a campaign to stop people parking on pavements, and work to increase the accessibility of council-produced information.

Can't read regular print?

Shaping Your Services – a group of visually impaired people who use council sensory support services – has worked with the council on a leaflet to show us what size writing they would like their information in.

It has samples of different font sizes, so people who need larger print can say exactly what size is best for them. All blind and partially sighted sensory support users will get a copy. We’ll also offer to take note of their preferred format, so anything sent to them from our customer services team in future will be in the right size type.

International Day of Disabled People

The International Day of Disabled People is on 3 December 2007, and local charity Disability North is joining forces with the Percy Hedley Foundation to celebrate. The theme will be ‘Decent work for people with impairments’. The council will be one of the organisations explaining what they do to ensure disability equality in the workplace. Disabled people will also talk about their own experiences in education and employment. For more information on the event, contact Disability North on 0191 284 0480, or events@disabilitynorth.org.uk