Bristol City Council Fails With Disability Access
What does ‘fully accessible’ mean to Disabled people? It means more access barriers
This month’s meeting of Children and Young People Policy Committee, is proposed to be at the new South Bristol Youth Zone.
Democratic Services for the meeting have said that livestreaming will take place as well as the usual public forum.
The council promises that the building is also ‘fully accessible’.
However, no further details have been provided as to what that means. Is there a social story available? Hearing loop system? Toilets that are not just accessible but big enough for wheelchair users in power chairs?
The 224 Youth Zone has no information about Disabled access on its website at all.
The closest it comes to mention Disabled access is: ‘All existing Youth Zones provide and cater for young people with a range of additional needs up to the age of 25 through inclusive ability sessions alongside the mainstream offer.
‘The sessions are adapted for young people with additional needs and are open for a wide range of young people to access, including those with mild learning difficulties to more complex needs such as visual impairment and physical disabilities. Young people are given the opportunity to access a range of activities for example boxing, trampolining, karaoke, arts and crafts, cooking, gaming and much more.
‘Our dedicated SEND session will be on a Sunday”
Bristol City Council’s view of what Disabled access looks like is extremely poor. The access lift at Bristol Registry Office has been out of action for a very long time.
The current sign says ‘ask at reception for assistance’. But it’s not clear where the reception is. If it is up the stairs? or at the side offices? This is because no one has thought through Disabled access properly. The sign pretty much implies that one must teleport up the step to the office. Because the absence of information about alternative entrances is not there. This means the sign without explicit instructions for Disabled people is a barrier into all parts of the building.
The 224 Youth Zone says on its website: ‘It will be open to all young people aged 8 to 19, and up to 25 for those with additional needs. The Youth Zone will provide thousands of young with somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to.’
Until it updates its website with proper Disabled access for the needs of all Disabled children and young people – as well as visiting professionals – Disabled access it does not have.
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