Equality and Diversity
Disability Equality Scheme - This document is draft pending Comhairle approval
Action Plan
| Objectives | Actions | Responsibility | Timescales | Required Outcome | Report on Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equality of opportunity | 1.1 Adopt and publish a Disability Equality Scheme and Action Plan | Head of Human Resources and Equalities Officer | Dec 2006 Apr 2007 Revised & implemented Dec 2007 |
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| 1.2 Review the Disability Equality Scheme and report on progress Annually | Equalities Officer | December 2007 | |||
| 1.3 Develop working relationships with Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership and other agencies | Equalities Officer | Ongoing | |||
| 2. All policies and service functions will promote equal opportunities where possible and minimise adverse impacts on disabled people | 2.1 Adopt an impact assessment toolkit | Equalities officer and a policy officer from each department | Jan 2008 | ||
| 2.2 Carry out impact assessments on all existing policies and functions identifying any incompatibilities with the aims and objectives of the Act | As above | Ongoing throughout January 2008 | |||
| 2.3 Carry out impact assessments on all new policies and functions as Above |
As above | Ongoing as required | |||
| 2.4 Involve disabled people to assist with the impact assessments of policies which affect people. | As above | Ongoing | |||
| 3. Consult and involve disabled people with the development of a Disability Equality Scheme and Action Plan | 3.1 Review current arrangements | Chief Executive - Equalities Officer | July 2007 | An established forum of disabled people and representatives who will contribute to the development of Disability Equality Scheme and Action Plan | July 07 - A list of names and addresses was complied in using internet resources. A letter was sent out at end of July to 47 individuals or organisation requesting input to the proposed action plan, limited impact with only 3 acknowledgements to letter received. |
| 3.2 Compile a list of disabled people, representatives of disabled people and disability partnership organisations within the Western Isles | July 2007 | ||||
| 3.3 Invite representatives to become involved in the development of DES | Ongoing | ||||
| 3.4 Adopt of forum for disability equality and agree on regular meeting to review progress, e.g. quarterly meetings. | Ongoing | Nov 07 – The DESG partners (CnES, WIHB & LCC) arranged an ‘event’ to highlight awareness and gain involvement of disabled people, invitations extended by direct mailing and advertisement in the local press and radio. Nov 07 November - Event held in LCC and 10 attendees were present to represent disabled people of the Western Isles, agreement obtained to become further involved in the ongoing development of the DES & AP |
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| 4. Increase disabled people’s access to Council Services | 4.1 Access to Building; Sandwick Road Offices:- - Improve front access to building - Improve back access to building (very steep gradient) - Improve lift facilities (need to meet recognised standards for disabled access) - Review access to Council Chamber as current doors are too heavy |
Director of Technical Services | Ongoing throughout 2008 | Reasonable adjustments completed to make the Stornoway offices accessible to disabled people Lewis Access Panel and disabled people to involved in decisions regarding reasonable adjustments made |
Decision to be made regarding the suitability of the Tarbert offices for both the public and employees in terms of accessibility in light of the access audit that was completed (as advised by Harris Access Panel). |
| Tarbert Offices:- - Internal building is not suitable for disabled access - Access audit was completed 18 months ago but no action taken to improve access |
Director of Technical Services | Ongoing throughout 2008 | Reasonable adjustments completed to make the Tarbert offices accessible to disabled people. Harris Access Panel to be involved in decisions regarding reasonable adjustments made. |
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| 4.2 Access to parking; Sandwick Road Offices:- More disabled parking spaces required (only 1 at front of office and 2 at back of office). |
Director of Technical Services | One additional disabled parking space to be provided at both the front and the back of the Stornoway building. Assessment of whether this is an adequate provision will be measured by disabled people and feedback provided. |
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| Tarbert Offices:- - Car parking facilities must be available on same side of building (space available) - Provide disabled parking bays (none currently available) |
Director of Technical Services | ||||
| Public Car Parks:- - Increase the number of disabled car parking bays which meet the national guidelines |
Director of Technical Services | ||||
| 4.3 Access to public transport; - Evaluate current supply of disabled access vehicles - Measure the need for further service provisions for disabled transport - Support voluntary agency initiatives eg Dial-a-bus |
Director of Technical Services | Identify any comments made in the Community Survey Project relating to transport for disabled people. | |||
| 4.4 Develop a directory of services & provisions available for disable people within the Western Isles | Chief Executive Equalities Officer | A directory is published on the website with clear contact and instructions on how to maximise benefits available to disabled people throughout the Western Isles E.g Blue Badge Scheme, Disability Benefits, etc |
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| 5. Improve communication and increase access to information for disabled people | 5.1 Follow Comhairle procedures to ensure each piece of communication is acknowledged and responded to. | All departments | |||
| 5.2 Adopt works programme to ensure that all Comhairle meeting rooms have Loop provisions available | Director of Technical Services | ||||
| 5.3 Adopt Comhairle’s Local Accessible Information Policy to ensure that all information is available in the requested format eg Braille, large print, audio, etc. | Head of Human Resources and Communications Officer | ||||
| 5.4 Online Information – continue ongoing work to upgrade the Comhairle web provision to ensure it complies with the WC3 Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. | Head of I.T | IT staff have recently (Oct 07) made the Browsealoud service available on the Comhairle website. Users can download this facility using the icon on the front page of the website, this facility reads pages aloud for people who find it difficult to read information online. | |||
| 5.5 Identify a single point of contact for disabled people to communicate through via the Diversity and Equality Working Group | Diversity & Equality Working Group | Nov 06 | Disabled people have a single point of contact to communicate with for the three partners rather than being passed from partner to partner | Calum Russell – Strategic Diversity Lead (WIHB) agreed to the contact for communication between the partners. This arrangement will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. | |
| 6. Promote positive attitudes towards disabled people and educate regarding misconceptions. | 6.1 Set up targeted training for all staff and managers around disability in the workplace. | Head of Human Resources | Perception at present is that staff awareness is ‘reasonable’ but help could be more forthcoming, particularly at customer facing areas, eg reception, customer service help desk, finance, etc | ||
| 6.2 Create a Disability webpage with links to DES and general information and training. Also links to useful web pages & services available in the Western Isles. | Equalities Officer with assistance from I.T unit | Equalities web page has been set up in draft form with links to the three statutory equality strands. | |||
| 6.3 Prepare and circulate Disability Equality Awareness guidance for staff briefing. | Equalities Officer | ||||
| 6.4 Introduce disability equality awareness training in all staff induction programmes | Head of Human Resources | ||||
| 6.5 Public awareness exercise to provide information and education to the general public to address the ignorance and prejudice that is still experienced by disabled people | Head of Human Resources with assistance from DESG and OHCPP | ||||
| 7. Produce and publish an annual report on progress on the Disability Equality Scheme | 7.1 Identify areas of improvement and areas where further work is required | Equalities Officer | Dec 07 Dec 08 Dec 09 |
Report published by the end of each calendar year | |
| 7.2 Publish report annually on CnES website | |||||
| 8. Review the scheme every three years | 8.1 Identify areas of improvement and areas where further work is required and revise scheme with the involvement of disabled people | Equalities Officer | Dec 09 | Revised scheme published in December 2009 | |
| 9. The Comhairle as an Education Authority will eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equality of opportunities for all. | 9.1 Build on the Education Authority’s existing Access Strategy | Head of Inclusion and Early Years Education | Ongoing throughout 2008 and 2009 | ||
| 9.2 Build on the Education Authority’s existing Additional Support Needs (ASN) database. | |||||
| 9.3 Revise the ASN handbook and involve the ASN forum | |||||
| 9.4 Carry out impact assessments on all new and existing policies and functions within the Education Authority, identifying any incompatibilities with the aims and objectives of the Act |