The introduction of the Disability Act in 2005, and the inclusion of disability as a national priority in Towards 2016, has given local authorities the responsibility to ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to live a full life in their local communities.

It is important that the priorities that have been set out do not become victims of the current economic difficulties and that local authorities build on the good work that has already been done to ensure the people who are blind or vision impaired have equal access to services, information, the built environment and are able to navigate our villages, towns and cities safely and independently.

NCBI provides support and services to around 14,000 people living with sight loss in Ireland. According to a recent study published by VISPA (Vision Impaired Service Providers Alliance), the number of blind people in Ireland over the age of 55 is set to increase by 43% over the 10-year period from 2006 to 2016 (from 3,800 to 5,500). The number of people over the age of 55 who have impaired vision is set to increase by 45% for the same period (from 11,000 to 16,000). People living with sight loss and their families represent a more significant proportion of the electorate every year.

NCBI therefore asks candidates for local government to commit to the prioritisation of the areas outlined below.

Des Kenny
Chief Executive, NCBI
May 2009

1. Physical access

Through careful planning and thoughtful retrofitting local authorities can make a real difference to the daily lives of people who are blind or vision impaired. Measures which can be taken include:

• The presence of tactile paving
• Audible signals at traffic lights
• Accessible signage.

These measures can mean the difference between someone who is blind or has low vision getting to school, college, work, or the shops independently and having to rely on friends and family members for assistance.

Early consultation on these issues avoids later problems with streets and buildings that are difficult to navigate and also avoids the additional cost of retrofitting.

2. Access to services

As with physical access, disability-proofing services by ensuring that only accessible infrastructure and services are invested in should be a priority for local authorities. Disability-proofing should include:

• Disability awareness training for customer care staff
• Accessible transport
• Access to further education and training.

Councillors can ensure that such access is provided, helping break down some of the barriers that exclude people with sight loss.

3. Access to information

The Disability Act placed a responsibility on public bodies to provide information in accessible formats such as braille, audio and large print where requests are made.

With websites now a central part of how we live and communicate, this requirement should also extend to online information. Websites can be made easy to navigate for people with low vision by using either screen-reading which reads aloud everything that is on the screen, or magnification software which magnifies it to a size that is easier to view.

About NCBI

NCBI is a not for profit charitable organisation which offers support and services nationwide to people experiencing difficulties with their eyesight.

About 18 per cent of people using our services are completely blind, while 82 per cent have varying degrees of usable vision. We were established in 1931 to promote the full independence of people who are blind or vision impaired and now provide a range of services to almost 14,000 people.

NCBI also provides a range of services to public and private organisations so that their services are accessible to people who are blind and vision impaired.

We offer a range of services to assist people with vision impairments to adapt to their situation and maintain their independence. These services, which include advice and information as well as emotional and practical support, can be provided to people at home or in one of our resource
centres, which are situated throughout the country. Our services are available to people of all ages, from birth through to senior citizens.

NCBI’s Media Centre provides a braille unit and five audio recording studios and is the largest provider of braille and audio material in Ireland. We produce material and information in braille and audio formats for people who are blind and vision impaired and to a range of public and private organisations.

NCBI promotes the accessible design of technology for use by everyone, including people with disabilities. Our Centre for Inclusive Technology works with public and private organisations to establish standards and to ensure that technologies are accessible.

NCBI,
Whitworth Road,
Drumcondra,
Dublin 9.

Tel: 01 8307033
Fax: 01 8307787
Email: info@ncbi.ie
Web: www.ncbi.ie