External Disability Advisory Group

28 June 2024 at 1200 (Committee Room 29, Parliament Buildings)

 

In attendance

External Disability Advisory Group Members

In Person:

  • June Best
  • Pauline Millar, Positive Futures
  • Sarah Ogle, Positive Futures
  • Amanda Paul
  • Joanne Sansome

Virtual:

  • Ursula Marshall, Disabled People’s Parliament

Northern Ireland Assembly Commission Staff

  • Maria Bannon, Equality Manager (Chair)
  • Claire Maguire, Public Engagement Manager (Item 4)
  • Eoin Curran, Web Content Manager (Item 5)
  • Christine Watts, Environmental Services and Health and Safety Manager (Item 6)
  • John Gow, Equality Officer

Apologies

  • Andrew Ewen, Leonard Cheshire
  • David McDonald
  • Andrew Murdock, Guide Dogs NI
  • Karen Martin, Deputy Head of Human Resources

 

1. Welcome and Introduction

1.1 The Chair opened the meeting and welcomed all to Parliament Buildings.   

 

2. Minutes of the previous meeting

2.1 The minutes of the previous meeting on 20 September 2023 were agreed.

 

3. Actions from the previous meeting

3.1 The update to the website to give more prominence to contact details was being considered as part of a project to redesign the website.

3.2 The Parliament Buildings map for visitors had been updated to indicate that visitors who wish to use the changing places facility, located outside the public access area of the building, should ask a member of staff to escort them.

3.3 The meeting had been moved to the later start time of 1200 to give those who needed to make special travel arrangements the opportunity to attend.

 

4. Engagement Office – update on actions in the Disability Action Plan

4.1 The Public Engagement Manager advised that recruitment for the second mandate of the Youth Assembly had been completed. Recruitment had been carried out by constituency, including rural areas, open to young people aged between 12 and 16 years, using an enhanced random selection process based on demographic research. The research indicated that the Youth Assembly needed to recruit 10 young people with disabilities in order to be representative. In the event, 12 young people with disabilities had been recruited. The Youth Assembly had identified issues to be taken forward through the Big Youth Survey, to which 500 responses had been received. The issues identified as priorities were health, particularly mental health and education, particularly the rights of young women in education. Ms Sansome said that she knew of a school where a vote had been held on issues and these were brought back to the Youth Assembly through their representative.

4.2 Ms Paul asked how many applications there had been, and what specific disabilities were represented among the young people on the Youth Assembly. The Public Engagement Manager explained that there had been 1,200 applications for the first Youth Assembly, and 500 for the second. Those whose applications were not successful were kept involved in the work of the Youth Assembly, for example through surveys. As recruitment was carried out separately, the Assembly did not have information on specific disabilities, but a range of disabilities were represented.

4.3 A framework had been created to develop a co-design panel for the Disabled People’s Parliament. The Public Engagement Manager had contacted and held information sessions with representative groups, 10 of whom had offered to join the co-design panel. The aim was to hold the Disabled People’s Parliament in December 2024 to coincide with International Day for People with Disabilities. Joanne Sansome asked for a copy of the framework to develop the co-design panel for the Disabled People’s Parliament.

Action: Public Engagement Manger to provide EDAG members with a copy of the framework for the co-design panel for the Disabled People’s Parliament

4.4 Members of the group said that the Disabled People’s Parliament should include individuals with disabilities rather than representative groups. The Public Engagement Manager explained that efforts were being made to broaden representation on the Disabled People’s Parliament and would be in touch with EDAG members.

Action: Public Engagement Manager to contact EDAG membership about Disabled People’s Parliament

Action: Equality Officer to send out link to previous Disabled People’s Parliament to EDAG members.    

4.5 Autism and Dementia-friendly tours of Parliament Buildings had been developed, and the new Visitor Experience Team would be able to offer more tours. Two workshops had been held for SEN schools to help make education programmes more accessible. A SEN course had been completed by an Education Officer and would be rolled out to other Education Officers. Ms Ogle asked what steps were taken to meet the needs of pupils with autism during visits. The Public Engagement Manager said that dialogue took place between the Education Officer and teachers, and pre-visit checks would be carried out, with additional breaks and use of the quiet room during the visit if necessary.

 

5. Communications Office - update on website and intranet accessibility and accessibility guide

5.1 The Web Content Manager said that the autism accessibility video had been updated. A link would be sent out to EDAG members.

Action: Web Content Manager to send EDAG members the link to the autism accessibility video.

5.2 The Committee for Communities had hosted an event on the Sign Language Bill for the deaf community on 27 June 2024. Over 60 people who use BSL/ISL were present. A virtual tour of Parliament Buildings had been published on the website with BSL/ISL and subtitles. At least one session of the Assembly was broadcast with BSL/ISL.   

5.3 The project to redevelop the Assembly’s external website was entering the discovery phase and a number of groups, including EDAG members, had been consulted. The focus of the project would be usability and accessibility. A research paper would inform the redevelopment project which would be a complex task over a number of years. Accessibility training for people who put content on the website was being carried out and templates were being used.

 

6. Facilities Office - update on building accessibility

6.1 The Environmental Services and Health and Safety Manager said that the feasibility of the provision of a lift in Parliament Buildings capable of accommodating larger motorised wheelchairs was being investigated with an architect, and costs would be available soon. Planning permission had been granted for larger, accessible parking spaces at Parliament Buildings, and work would commence in the near future.

6.3 A conservation survey had been carried out and a 10-year plan had been developed which included how accessibility could be improved while maintaining the building’s listed status.

 

7. Disability Action Plan 2025-2030 pre-consultation

7.1 The Chair said that, following a recent pre-consultation exercise, the Disability Action Plan 2025-2030 would be going out to full consultation in October. EDAG members had been included in the pre-consultation, and four members had provided responses. The full consultation would take place over 14 weeks, including the Christmas and new year holiday period.

 

8. Annual Progress Report to the Equality Commission including Disability Action Plan Progress Report

8.1 The Assembly’s Annual Report to for 2023/2024, including an update on progress on the Disability Action Plan 2022-2025, had been submitted to the Equality Commission on 24 June 2023. Of 39 actions in the Disability Action Plan, 35 were complete, two were ongoing and two were not complete.

8.2 The incomplete actions were:

  • Consideration of feedback on disability issues from visitor survey;
  • Creation of a short video promoting tour accessibility at Parliament Buildings.

8.3 The Annual Report would be published on the Assembly’s website in an accessible format. For future Annual Reports, the Equality Unit would ask the Equality Commission for a version of the Annual Report template in accessible format.  

Action: Equality Officer to ask Equality Commission for accessible version of Annual Report template for future Annual Reports

 

9. AOB

9.1 The Equality Manager said that work was ongoing on developing disability training for staff. As well as staff, the Equality Unit would approach EDAG members to ask them to record short pieces to camera for inclusion in the training about meeting the needs of disabled people.

9.2 Ms Paul praised staff in the Speakers Corner coffee shop for their support to visitors with disabilities.

 

Date of next meeting

To be arranged for October 2024.

 

9.3 The Chair thanked those in attendance, particularly external members, and concluded the meeting.