Kildare County Council Launches ‘Access All Areas’ Initiative On Kildare Disability Week

Kildare Disability Week, Kildare County Council launched ‘Access All Areas’ an initiative developed by Celbridge Access Group (CAG) aimed at supporting local businesses in making their Business Accessible to All.

Kildare County Council’s Kildare Disability Week gets underway today with a schedule of events which will run until the 3 December 2021.  

The events scheduled will focus on highlighting and raising awareness of the inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of our community.

Events planned throughout the rest of Kildare Disability Week include:

Lighting County Kildare Purple - Landmark buildings including Maynooth University, Aras Chill Dara and Newbridge Town Hall will be flooded in purple lights in a salute to 643,131 people in Ireland, over 13% of the population,who live with a disability

Fly the Flag , The County Kildare Access Network Flag to be flown in prominent locations across the county.

In total 250 flags will be flown in town squares, outside schools and on Garda Stations

 In addition, a number of new initiatives will be launched by Kildare County Council throughout Kildare Disability Week, including:

• JAM Card - allows people with a learning difficulty, autism or communication barrier tell others they need ‘Just A Minute’ discreetly and easily.

Those with a communication barrier are often reluctant or unable to tell others about their condition. JAM Card allows this to happen in a simple, effective non-verbal manner.

• Our World – Disability Awareness Education Program.

This initiative which is being led by Maynooth Access Group consists of a catalogue of toys with different disabilities which is lent out to preschools and schools to educate children around the perception of normality.

• Naas Community Bus, a joint initiative between An Garda Siochana and Kildare County Council’s Naas Municipal District.

In addition to its day-to-day use for community policing in Naas, it services will now be used to support community groups and vulnerable minorities such as disabled people.

The inclusion of an accessible lift on the bus is of particular benefit as it allows for a wheelchair user in addition to 12 other passengers to be transported at any one time.

The community bus in Naas is one of a few marked police vehicle of this type around the world.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) will take place on Friday 3 December, with the objective of endorsing empowerment, and helping to create real opportunities for people with disabilities. 

The theme for IDPD this year is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”

People across Kildare are encouraged to get involved and mark the event by donning the colour purple:

• Wear a piece of purple clothing
• Decorate your premises/shop front windows in purple
• Display message on digital notice boards in support of day.
• Purple background for virtual meetings

 People are also invited to join the conversation online and show their support by using the hashtags #IDPwD and #PurplelightsKildare