External Disability Advisory Group
6 February 2025 at 12:00 Committee Room 54, Parliament Buildings
In attendance:
External Disability Advisory Group Members:
In Person:
Paula Beattie – RNIB
Rhona McAuley – Cedar Foundation
Virtual:
Joanne Sansome
Northern Ireland Assembly Commission Staff:
Maria Bannon, Equality Manager (Chair)
Claire Maguire, Public Engagement Manager (Item 4)
Eoin Curran, Web Content Manager (Item 5)
John Gow, Equality Officer
Apologies:
Amanda Paul
David McDonald
Micheál Smith - RNIB
Terri Quigley – Head of Facilities Management
Christine Watts - Environmental Services and Health and Safety Manager
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 28 June 2024 were agreed.
3. Actions from the previous meeting
3.1 The framework for the co-design panel for the Disabled People’s Parliament had been issued to EDAG members.
3.2 A link to the video on the previous Disabled People’s Parliament had been issued to EDAG members.
3.3 The updated Access to Parliament Buildings Video had been issued to EDAG members.
3.4 As the Equality Commission did not have an accessible version of the Annual Report template the Equality Unit would publish future Annual Reports on the Assembly website in accessible format.
4. Draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030 Consultation
4.1 The Chair explained that the consultation on the Assembly Commission’s draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030 would close on 17 February 2025. The consultation had been published in accessible formats including an Easy Read version and QR codes linked to the consultation website.
4.2 An action in the Disability Action Plan was to use images in Assembly publications to promote positive attitudes towards people with disabilities. The Chair said that it would be good to have photos of EDAG members highlighting the work of the group in projects like the installation of a ramp at the front entrance to Parliament Buildings. This would be taken forward through the Assembly’s Internal Communications Group. In response to a question from Ms Beattie, the Web Content Manager confirmed that organisations’ could provide their own images. The Public Engagement Manager would put an amended form of words in the Privacy Notice for use of images.
5. Public Engagement Update
5.1 The Disabled People’s Parliament would be held in November. A survey would be conducted which would be shared with EDAG members as well as other networks.
5.2 A conference for teachers in Special Education Needs would be held on 6 June 2025. The aim would be to encourage visits to Parliament Buildings by Special Educational Needs Schools and to equip teachers in the sector to educate their pupils on the role of the Assembly. An education video accessible for children with Special Educational Needs had been produced.
5.3 The Public Engagement Manager advised that the second mandate of the Youth Assembly would come to an end in September 2025. Recruitment for the next Youth Assembly would use an enhanced representation system to ensure that young people with disabilities were represented. The current Youth Assembly had focussed on health, particularly mental health and education, particularly the rights of young women in education.
6. Facilities Office - Update on Building Accessibility
6.1 The Facilities Manager had been unable to attend or be represented but had provided a progress report on building accessibility issues.
6.2 Theproject to provide a lift suitable for larger motorised wheelchairs was currently under the management of the Department of Finance, with scoping still ongoing. The complexity of the project arose from the building's Grade A listing, as any installation would need to align with its protected status. While the plan included installing a lift to provide access to all floors, final details such as weight and size specifications were to be determined.
6.3 All aspects of accessibility would be thoroughly reviewed as part of the disability access audit scheduled for this year. The audit had been slightly delayed due to workload pressures within the Department of Finance but would commence shortly. The difficulties with the Changing Space door which had been raised by Ms Paul would be considered as part of the disability access audit.
6.4 A project to create larger accessible parking spaces in the Upper East Car Park was planned to begin in February. The project would relocate all disabled parking bays next to the access ramp and re-line all other spaces. There would be one parking space for users of large motorised wheelchairs located in the West Car Park
Communications Office - Update on Website
7.1 The tender competition to redevelop the Assembly’s external website is a big piece of work. The current website, which is more than 15 year old, is out of date. The Assembly’s Information Systems Office will be recruiting staff to work on the Assembly side of the project i.e. integrations with Assembly information and systems. The tender exercise for a digital agency to help build the new website and provide an accompanying Content Management System (CMS) is in the final specification stage and close to going to procurement. Once the new web partner is in place, the new website will take one to two years to complete. Content authors would be asked to produce information in an accessible format for publication on the website. The Chair said that there was a specific action in the draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030 to make sure that content authors were trained in producing information for publication on the website in accessible format. Ms Beattie said she would share guidance that RNIB had produced for political parties on using accessible formats when campaigning.
Action: Ms Beattie to send the Equality Unit RNIB guidance to political parties on the use of accessible formats in campaigning.
7.2 Ms Beattie also raised the issue of the WiFi password for an event in the Long Gallery. The Engagement Manager agreed to check pre-event information.
Action: Engagement Officer to check pre-event process in relation to WiFi password.
8. AOB
8.1 Ms Beattie raised an issue in relation to the All Party Group on Visual Impairment to which she provided secretariat support. At the most recent meeting she had arrived early to set up the room but had been denied access until an MLA was present. The Chair would raise this with the Head of Security.
Action: Chair to raise the issue of access to rooms for RNIB to allow them to set up for All Party Group on Visual Impairment with Head of Security
8.2 A paper would be submitted to the Assembly Commission in May 2025 on the outcome of the public consultation on the draft Disability Action Plan 2025-2030. An outcome report of the results of the consultation would be published when agreed by the Assembly Commission.
Date of next meeting:
To be arranged for September 2025
8.3 The Chair thanked those in attendance, particularly external members, and concluded the meeting.
