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Access for All Forum

Access for All Forum (originally Disability Forum)

Blaenau Gwent has been addressing disability issues since 1995 due to the advent of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).

Firstly, Officers of the then Gwent County Council (North Gwent Social Services) and Officers of the Blaenau Gwent Borough Council met to address the implications of the DDA and how it would impact on the authority and the disabled people of Blaenau Gwent.

Upon Local Government Re-organisation on 1st April 1996 – Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council formally established the Disability Access Group which consisted of appropriate officers of each department, and was chaired by the Social Services Department.

Progress

Initially the authority allocated an annual budget of £50,000 per annum to improve access to council buildings – as a result of the pressure from the Disability Network, the budget was increased to a £105,000 per annum from April 2004 to speed up the compliance process.

A great deal of the focus of the Access Group in the early days was upon allowing improved access to wheelchair users – this focus has changed markedly over the last few years with the awareness that only a small proportion of disabled people are in wheelchairs and that many disabilities are not seen eg sensory and visual impairments etc. 

Lots of good work has been carried out across the Authority over the last few years:-
    

• The Authority was awarded the Two Ticks Disability Symbol Accreditation on the 12th June 2006 to demonstrate its commitment to the disabled public of Blaenau Gwent.
• Leisure Services have established a Disability Sports Forum to organise Borough wide events for clubs.
• All buildings within the County Borough have been subjected to exhaustive access audits using four primary criteria-ambulant disability, all sensory impairments, wheelchair users, mental health disabilities.  Reports have subsequently been sent to the respective client divisions.  Asset Management design, specify and procure modifications to buildings with public access, to increase inclusivity for persons with all forms of impairments.  To date 16 buildings have had facilities upgraded at a cost of £300,000, and four more are planned or ongoing in the near future.
• All planning applications are vetted in Technical Services Division to ascertain that Access Statements, embodying the requirements of the Welsh Assembly Government in relation to exclusivity are enshrined in the planning process.
• In May 2007 The Disability Forum was renamed the Access For All Forum and has been successful in getting more involvement with Disabled members of the public, their carers, and disabled members of staff.  The Forum is jointly chaired by Andrea Prosser from Blaenau Gwent Social Services and Claire Sullivan from Blaenau Gwent Local Health Board.
• Due to the relationship built up over the last 2 years with the Deaf Community, a Deaf Forum has been created.

The Terms of Reference of the Access For All Forum mirror the General Duty of the Disability Equality Duty 2005:

Public Authorities must, in carrying out their functions, have due regard to:
   

• Promoting equality of opportunity between disabled persons, groups and others.
• Eliminating discrimination that is unlawful under the Act.
• Eliminating harassment of disabled persons that is related to their disabilities.
• Promoting positive attitudes towards disabled persons.
• Encouraging participation by disabled persons in public life.
• Taking steps to meet disabled persons needs, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons.
• Encouraging participation by disabled persons in public life.
• Taking steps to meet disabled persons needs, even where that involves treating disabled persons more favourably than other persons.

The Forum has developed rapidly in recent months with the membership levels increasing to well over 50, and a greater variety of members becoming involved.

The Forum has a varied membership that encourages the development of partnership working.  The members of the group to date are as follows:
    

• Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
• Blaenau Gwent Local Health Board
• GAVO
• Crossroads
• Blaenau Gwent Leg Club
• Blaenau Gwent Council for the Disabled
• Blaenau Gwent Deaf Club
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Linc Cymru
• Disability Wales
• Coleg Gwent
• Job Centre Plus
• British Deaf Association
• Pathways
• Workstep
• Disabled staff and members of the public

The Forum now meets on a six weekly basis and has an Events sub group that organises events to raise awareness and discuss issues on disability.  The following events have so far been held:-
   

• Access for All Involvement Seminar – Abertillery Leisure Centre
• Visual Impairment Awareness raising and demonstration of Assistive Technology
• Sign of the Times – Deaf Awareness and Assistive Technology event
• Assisting with 50+ Forum events – post retirement activities etc.

We have also set up a Deaf Forum for the Deaf Community of Blaenau Gwent.
   

• The Authority has written a Disability Equality Scheme as a result of the Disability Equality Duty.  It is a statement of intent by the Authority to involve Disabled staff, public and carers in the way the Authority runs.  It has a series of Action Plans that are designed to have a positive effect on the lives of disabled people and was informed from the Seminar below.
• An annual report has been written on the progress made in the first year of the scheme.  Please contact the Equalities Officer for a copy in your chosen format.
• In February 2007 a Seminar (Access for All Seminar) was held in partnership with the Blaenau Gwent Local Health Board at Abertillery Leisure Centre. Over 80 people attended, with the specific remit of the Seminar being the engagement and involvement of Disabled members of the public, their carers and disabled members of staff.  The Seminar was a great success with a number of issues that were raised being taken on board as actions by the Authority and Local Health Board.

The Forum welcomes Disabled People, Carers, Staff and representatives from Disability organisations to come and discuss issues of concern.  The Forum then feeds into the Councils to try to address any issues raised.