23 September 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley met with representatives from disability support groups from around the County ahead of the annual national Make Way Day this Friday September 25th.
‘Make Way Day’ is a public awareness campaign, coordinated by the Disability Federation of Ireland, to highlight the obstacles people with disabilities face in getting around their community. For the third consecutive year, Cork County Council is supporting Make Way Day and is joined by 28 other local authorities across Ireland this September in backing the campaign.
In a unified appeal, the County Mayor, along with disability group members and advocates, from Castlemartyr Family Carers and Disability Group, Enable Ireland, Dunmanway Access Group and Cork County Council’s Access Officer, are calling on the people of Cork County to consider the accessibility needs of others on Make Way Day and every single day.
Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley met with representatives from disability support groups from around the County ahead of the annual national Make Way Day this Friday, September 25th. ‘Make Way Day’ is a public awareness campaign, coordinated by the Disability Federation of Ireland, to highlight the obstacles people with disabilities face in getting around their community. The groups included Castlemartyr Family Carers and Disability Group and Enable Ireland Picture: Clare Keogh
Mayor Linehan Foley said
“By highlighting the real life experiences of some of the challenges faced by people with disabilities in accessing public spaces, we hope to bring it home to everyone how huge an impact small actions can have, like parking on footpaths or leaving wheelie bins on the pavement. Poor choices can make an area completely inaccessible for people. On the flip side, a lot of these issues arise from simple thoughtlessness, and a little extra consideration for other people can make a big difference. Accessibility is a core consideration for measures undertaken by Cork County Council’s Project ACT in reinvigorating our towns and villages and today we are simply asking that everybody does their part to ensure all citizens have equal access to all spaces.”
Separately, across in the Cork City Council area Labour’s Local Area Rep Peter Horgan said that “photo ops and props are meaningless one day a year when enforcement isn’t not present the other 364. Horgan continued lack of enforcement on bad parking, parking on footpaths, in cycleways, blocking those with mobility issues, forcing those with buggies onto the road and endangering vulnerable road users is dispiriting. Like dog fouling there can be fancy press releases all day but without hitting offenders in the pocket, and especially repeat offenders, we are just shouting in the wind. A radical overhaul is needed on how we view our city and suburbs.”
