A group of people with disabilities, invited to Leinster House to provide training on accessibility, ended up feeling “trapped” and “embarrassed” after a lift malfunctioned within the parliamentary building, reports RTE.
The organization, which specializes in disability awareness training, expressed surprise at how inaccessible Leinster House was during their visit to Dublin last year.
In an email, they highlighted several issues, including so-called accessible toilets that were too small for wheelchair users, buses being denied access to drop off individuals with mobility impairments, and a broken lift that left five members stranded. They told the head of the Oireachtas that these individuals were stuck in a corridor and felt “very embarrassed” as able-bodied people had to “squeeze” past them to access offices or go for lunch, reports RTE.
The email stated: “From the moment we arrived, we faced barriers and exclusion.”
The group, which included members of the HSE Gold Star Disability Awareness Training programme and volunteers from Tipperary, had been invited by an Oireachtas member to visit Leinster House in June, reports RTE.
They also reported that the room where they were supposed to deliver their training was inaccessible on multiple disability access fronts.
Later, when the group tried to move downstairs to the restaurant, one lift broke down, and another was found to be out of service, reports RTE.
The email explained: “The lift to access the lower corridor en route to the restaurant broke down after five people had safely used it, leaving others stranded upstairs. When the five attempted to continue to the restaurant, they found a note on the second lift reading ‘temporarily out of order,'” reports RTE.
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It continued: “Everyone there felt tired, embarrassed, disappointed, hungry, and once again let down in terms of their rights to universal access and the dignity of using a toilet privately.”
The group noted these issues as areas needing immediate attention and requested a meeting with Oireachtas management, reports RTE.
“Sincere Apologies”
In response, Clerk of the Dáil Peter Finnegan issued a “sincere apology” for the way the visit unfolded, admitting that “we fell well short of the standards that people are entitled to expect when they visit their National Parliament,” reports RTE.
A representative from the group returned in July to offer advice on improving accessibility within Leinster House for people with disabilities. However, progress has been slow, particularly with regard to replacing and upgrading the lifts, a task managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW).
In September, the group wrote again, asking if any updates had been made. The Oireachtas responded by stating that a public procurement process for a new lift would begin soon and that an additional accessible toilet would be installed, reports RTE.
They also mentioned that some previously designated “accessible” toilets were no longer marked as such, and that staff training on accessibility was scheduled for the current year.
In December, the group expressed their patience but emphasized that they were “anxious to know they are not forgotten,” reports RTE.
By April, they voiced increasing concern about whether any real changes had been made and whether another visit was possible.
In response, Mr. Finnegan confirmed that the new accessible toilet project had been completed and that a job coach and disability liaison officer would soon be appointed, reports RTE.
However, he acknowledged that the lift situation remained a significant challenge.
“The OPW has advised that installing a new platform lift for the Member’s restaurant is more complex than simply replacing the existing lift,” Mr. Finnegan explained in an email. “The overall solution for the area requires modifications to access and egress and some changes to internal offices and security posts,” reports RTE.
While some progress has been made, he noted that the project was not as advanced as hoped, particularly concerning the lift replacement.
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