‘Inequalities for disabled people are getting worse across Belfast’

‘There is a lot of work going on, but there are inequalities right across education and health. They are getting worse’

Inequalities for disabled people are “getting worse” across Belfast according to the city’s dedicated Equality and Diversity Officer.

The International Day for Persons with Disabilities is Wednesday December 3, and there will be an event to celebrate it at Belfast City Hall, including the rolling out of an accessibility “road map” for the city.

At a special meeting of the Belfast City Council People and Communities Committee held this week, elected representatives were given an update on the event in Belfast, as well as a brief description of the general state of how the city is tailored for persons with disabilities.

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Lorraine Dennis, the Equality and Diversity Officer for the council, told the chamber: “One of the patterns we are seeing very much is visibility in the city, in terms of inequalities for the neurodiverse and deaf community in sign language. There is a lot of work going on, but there are inequalities right across education and health. They are getting worse.”

She added: “We have been doing background research into the “accessible city” and what we are seeing is it involves the big things like transport, city infrastructure, jobs, communication, indeed every aspect.

“On December 3, the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, we are going to roll out the road map to an accessible city. We are going to start the conversation, we are going to look at what an accessible city means.

“From research we are seeing the word accessible is very often misunderstood as something that needs a lot of money. It does need money, but what we see is that the most accessible cities are the most successful cities.”

She said: “Disability and access groups have been key in telling us what they want, and what the issues are in Belfast. On (the December 3 event) we will have two sessions, including speakers with lived experiences, with disabilities including deafness and blindness, really telling how it is in Belfast.

“Two entrepreneurs will be there, both with disabilities, from an organisation called Disabled by Society, which looks at how structures are in place to cause disablement, rather than using negative stereotypes.

“We are also seeking on the day to raise awareness on what disability actually means. There are very big differences. A child with very complex needs might never enter the labour market, but that doesn’t mean he or she has any less value, and (that is very different) from someone who is deaf and entering the labour market. It is about breaking down the preconceptions that we have.”

She said the event would also include two case studies from officers in inclusive tourism, along with a presentation on Belfast Stories and Universal Design.

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