* We provide accessible door-to-door transport service for people with disabilities in the Lucan area. * We provide
Personal Assistance service for students with disabilities in third
level education. * We provide an information service for our members. Contact
Information: E-mail: ldag@eircom.net
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| Ireland has
over 400,000 people with disabilities, which is,almost 10% of the.population. The vast
majority of people with disabilities live below the poverty line due to an 85%
unemployment rate among people with disabilities. Lucan Disability Action Group are trying to build up a database of people in the Lucan area who are disabled. The group have been in existence forjust under two years and in September of 2001 moved into their new office in Muintir na Tire Town Hall in Lucan Village. They have developed from a group of 8 members at its beginning, to a membership of over 60 people at present. According to Government figures there are over 176 people in Lucan claiming Disability Allowance, alone - that is not taking into account those in receipt of Disability Benefit, Invalidity Benefit or Long Tenn Illnes s cover (whose numbers fluctuate and so are not reliable). So LDAG are asking for those who are disabled to register with the group and build up a powerful lobby group in order to bring about changes in the local area. The group are also.putting together an Access Report on the Lucan area to highlight areas which need to be dealt with. With Lucan having been chosen as a host village for the Special Olympics in 2003 these changes need to be tackled immediately in order to avoid embarrassment. LDAG also are working in association with
Vantastic to provide a transport service for disabled people in and around Lucan. This is
a pilot project and so need to prove by February that there is a very real need for the
service. In order to avail of the service each person must first become a member of LDAG.
Just call 6100475 and ask for Cathriona. 'A Our community has the opportunity to be an
example to the rest of the world as we play host to participants in the 2003 Special
Olympics. As we look forward to this very special occasion we must ensure that people
understand and realize how important a part disabled people can play in the future of this
island. |
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REPORT ON 3 MONTH PILOT ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORT SERVICE |
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Table of Contents
Page
Executive
Summary
2 Introduction
4 Mission
Statement of Lucan Disability Action Group
4 Aims &
Objectives of Lucan Disability Action Group
5 Terms of
Reference of Lucan Disability Action Group
5 Background
to the Pilot Project
8 Aims of the
Pilot Project
9 Markets
Identified
10 Marketing
& Public Relations Strategy
11 Results from
Pilot Project
12 Outcomes
& Findings
14 The Next
Step
15 Conclusion
16 Acknowledgments
18
Executive Summary
In the following document you will receive a
full report on the pilot project which Lucan Disability Action Group [LDAG] has undertaken over the past three months,
providing an accessible transport service for people with a disability in the Lucan and
surrounding areas. This project was funded by
a grant received from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which was
brokered through the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This project is the
first of its kind that has been fully funded by a Government Department. This document will outline the essential need
for this service and provide detailed results on the findings and conclusions that LDAG
have exposed over the time of this project. LDAG would like to acknowledge the support of
Vantastic Dial a Ride Ltd. and the valuable assistance of Lucan 2000 without whose
invaluable support and guidance this project would not have taken place. Accessible
transport is a vital service to ensure that people with a disability can lead an active
and independent life. Users of the service included individual disabled people from Lucan
and surrounding areas, elderly people with a mobility difficulty. Community groups and
voluntary organisations, which have enabled people with a mobility difficulty to take up
employment, education, training opportunities have used this service since its inception.
This service has enabled people with a disability to access commercial services and other
social and personal engagements and appointments where prior to this service commencing
have not been able to do so. Since the project began the membership of LDAG has reached to
86 persons with a disability, a figure, which is growing daily as awareness of the aims
and objectives of LDAG spreads. LDAG have
submitted an application for a Social Economy Programme, which if approved would ensure
the continuity and expansion of the existing service for a further three year period. Many
lives have been transformed due to the introduction of the accessible transport service
and if this funding is not received the service will cease to exist and the lives of the
users will be in turmoil. It is
therefore crucial that the new opportunities and access to services that people with a
disability have availed of due to the availability of this service is sustained. For
disabled people to have an improved quality of life, accessible transport is fundamental
to attain this goal. Mr. Joe T.
Mooney Chairperson Lucan
Disability Action Group 22
March 2002.
Introduction
Lucan
Disability Action Group was established in October 2000 to address the needs of people
with a disability in the Lucan area. It was established by eight members of the community
and has now a membership of over 86 people from all parts of Lucan. Lucan
Disability Action Group, through the knowledge and personal experience of members, is
acutely aware of the difficulties faced by people with a disability in counteracting the
marginalisation, exclusion and disempowerment, which many people with a disability have
experienced in the Lucan area and indeed nationwide. LDAG members are also aware of the
issues in relation to unemployment and marginalisation in general, as almost 80% of Irish
people with a disability are unemployed. Lucan Disability Action Group - Mission Statement
The
Lucan Disability Action Group seeks to empower and enable people with
a disability to enhance their quality of life, to achieve independent
living and, to participate in social and economic life in the Lucan
area. To lobby for change in
policy and services to enable people with a disability to fully participate
in mainstream society and to live a life of their own choosing. We
also wish for people with a disability to have input into all policy
decisions and service provision, which affect their lives. Aims and Objectives of LDAG
·
To
promote, through practical empowerment, independent living for people with a disability in
the Lucan area. ·
To
promote equality and rights of people with a disability. ·
To
lobby for change in policy and services to enable people with a disability to fully
participate in mainstream society and to live a life of their own choosing. ·
To
promote a positive image of people with a disability as contributors to society and active
members in community life. Terms of Reference for Lucan Disability Action Group
1.
Lucan Disability Action Group will provide a forum
for people with a disability living in the Lucan area to identify common needs and
initiate actions to address them. 2.
Membership of the Lucan Disability Action Group will
be open to any groups or individuals interested in furthering the aims of our group. 3.
Lucan Disability Action Group will be a
representative body for people with a disability living in the Lucan area. 4.
Lucan Disability Action Group will be independent,
elect its own officers and organise its own finances. 5.
The Lucan Disability Action Group will actively
network with other organisations to promote members’ interests. 6.
Lucan Disability Action Group will work to raise
public awareness around issues that affect people with a disability in the Lucan area. 7.
Lucan Disability Action Group will lobby public
representatives on issues raised by its members and disability commissions. Our members
quickly identified that in order to achieve social inclusion and equal access to services
and opportunities in the community, an accessible door to door transportation service was
urgently required in the Lucan area. Accessible Transport - Why is it needed?
The
essential need of accessible transport such as LDAG provided is due to lack of public
accessible transport which can cater for people with a disability immediately prompted
Lucan Disability Action Group to acknowledge the urgent and vital need for the provision
of accessible transport in the Lucan area. Indications of the demand for this service
include: Ø
176 people on
Disability Allowance with a Lucan address. The geographical remit of the service also
encompasses the people on Disability Allowance in the following areas; Clondalkin:
615 Ballyfermot:
475 Celbridge:
157 Palmerstown:
108 Leixlip:
99 Ø
These figures do not include people under 16 years,
as well as people on other benefits such as Disability Benefit, Invalidity Pension etc.
Also there would be many more people with a disability in Lucan’ who are not on the
above benefits and are residing in the area. The absence of wheelchair-accessible buses on
the Lucan-Dublin route. Although the 67 and 67a routes have recently been made fully
accessible, the introduction of a fully accessible fleet on all routes is still a long way
off. Ø
The direct
request of the members of LDAG, who identified the need for accessible transport to meet
their needs. A request that was strongly reiterated in our research questionnaire,
concerning needs and wants of people with a disability in Lucan area that was subsequently
conducted by Lucan Disability Action Group and will be published shortly. Ø
Without
accessible transport, access to other facilities and amenities are denied. These include
access to health care, education, and employment, training and social activities. The
proliferation of Nursing Homes in Lucan and surrounding areas. As demographics have been
changing over the past number of years, with the older population growing, the needs of
older people regarding transport have to be addressed. Nursing Home residents, many with
mobility difficulties of some kind, have expressed a desire to use this door-to-door
service. Accessible
transport is an inherent part of leading an active, participative life. Unfortunately,
infrastructure at present is still some way from providing a fully accessible service, and
the date for completion of adaptation of existing transport services to comply with
transport legislation, targeted for 2010, remains too distant for the people who require
the service now. The dial-a-ride service currently being provided gives local people the
means to travel to work, education, hospital appointments, training, day care centers and
other social engagements.
Background to Pilot Project
In January
2001, with the assistance of Lucan 2000, Lucan Disability Action Group began to look for
potential sources of funding to establish an accessible transport service for the Lucan
area. The concept for this new service had evolved from work conducted by LDAG, supported
by Vantastic, on the transport needs of local residents and in wide ranging consultations
with community and interest groups in the area. The reports and consultations indicated
that there were gaps in the services provided by Dublin Bus, both in the route network
itself and as a result of the types of vehicle in operation which did not meet the access
requirements of people with reduced mobility. In April of
last year, an application to the Department of Transport, Trade and Employment was
successful, and a total of £18,330 was grant aided to fund a three month pilot project on
accessible transport the Lucan and surrounding areas.
During late
summer 2001, preliminary discussions were underway between Lucan Disability Action Group
and Vantastic. The discussions centred on the form and shape this pilot project should
take, given the uniquely short time frame of the project. A three-month project plan was
devised. The service was made available on a membership basis, and is designed to enable
the users to access employment and training opportunities as the main priority. Secondly,
to enable people to access shopping- centres, leisure and recreation facilities, medical
centres and hospitals as well as being able to visit their friends and relations. An important
feature of the services was that the vehicle which LDAG had rented from Vantastic Dial a
Ride Ltd. was adapted to be accessible for people with reduced mobility, in particular
wheelchair users, and that they will provide a door to door service where and when
required. Although the
service operated primarily within greater Lucan, it connected into the broader
‘Vantastic’ network of services and with bus, train and Dart services to enable
users to make longer distance trips. The pilot
project was launched in November 2001. In the following pages you will find the successes
of the project detailed, as well as the difficulties encountered. Overall, you will be
left with the overwhelming feeling of the necessity for this service and the urgency for
its rapid expansion in order to meet the transport needs of people with a disability in
the Lucan area. Aims and Objectives of Pilot Project
1.
To provide a flexible consumer focused, accessible
and affordable transport service to the entire community of the greater Lucan area. 2.
To provide a door-to-door demand responsive service
to people with a disability primarily within the greater Lucan area, but extending to
fringe areas as service develops. 3.
To maintain a progressive and visionary approach to
developing an Accessible Transport Service, building on the identified needs of people
with disability. 4.
Via the provision of an accessible and affordable
transport service to contribute to the social and economic development of the area
particularly in relation to education, training, recreation and employment opportunities. 5.
To work with existing transport providers and
relevant agencies to develop a comprehensive accessible transport service. Markets identified.
Demand for
this service was unable to be met due to the limits on time span and funding available for
the project and also due to the sizeable market base. The requests
from various groups and organisations for use of the service were identified as follows: ·
Individual
people with a disability from Lucan and surrounding areas ·
Elderly
people, including Nursing Home residents, with mobility difficulties ·
Community
Groups with disabled members, for example, schools and residents for children with special needs, etc. ·
Voluntary
organisations who may require ad-hoc journeys or as part of a more regular service ·
Institutions
who may require a regular and frequent service for individual or group transport. The capital
allocated to this pilot project was limited and therefore a budget had to be stringently
adhered to. This meant that LDAG were enabled to lease only one van to service Lucan and
surrounding areas, covering approximately just 50 hours per week. This meant that for the
period of the pilot project, and by extension the broader remit of Vantastic networks,
Lucan was severely under serviced. However, the
potential for expansion of the vehicle’s working hours has been witnessed during this
project, therefore increased funding will result in many more passengers availing of this
service.
Marketing and Public Relations Strategy
Prior
to the Launch of the service, and immediately following, there was
a strong Public Relations drive to create public awareness of the
service and recruit members. Marketing the service and creating awareness
of the Group was an ongoing task. There was a major media drive of
the new service, with regular articles appearing in both the ‘Liffey
Champion’ and ‘The Echo’ and the ‘Lucan Newsletter.
A prominent cover story in the Lucan newsletter provoked a great response
from people living in the Lucan area who were previously unaware of
the group and the transport service being offered. Flyers were designed
and printed and subsequently placed in the public domain in Lucan.
Colleges, schools, taxi offices, health centres and social welfare
offices were just some of the places targeted. Membership has been
increasing at a steady rate since then, as awareness and profile of
LDAG spreads. The service is also posted on local Lucan web-sites,
www.lucanonline.ie, www.lucanvillage.net Results from Pilot Project
In the following section you will receive a
full breakdown of the out comes from the pilot project: -
Eighty-six
people completed membership forms. Thirty-two
people were provided with transport. The
difference between the two figures relates to the availability of the vehicle in relation
to when people wished to travel. For example
the vehicle cannot pick up two people going in opposite directions travelling at the same
time. In total 440 passenger pickups were made. There were 272 refusals over the period. Refusals are calls for transport that could not be
met. The accessible vehicle was available for
50 hours each week during the trial period. This
is due to the fact that LDAG could only secure one driver for the trial period. The trial
period clearly demonstrated the need for the service in the Lucan area. It also highlights that there is demand for more
than one accessible vehicle. As the figures above demonstrate, demand outstripped supply.
During the period LDAG and Vantastic received expressions of interest from organisations
such as the local branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association, Peamount Hospital, Cherry
Orchard Hospital, which has a large number of people from the Lucan area.
Aside from
individual transportation there is potential for contract work with the Health Boards and
other organisations. The revenue yield from
such contracts would contribute towards the development of the service, but is must be
emphasised that without State funding LDAG, would never been able to carry out this Pilot
Project.
Outcomes and findings
·
Provision
of consumer focused accessible transport service to a targeted market in the greater Lucan
area. ·
It
maintained a positive, progressive and visionary approach to an Accessible Transport
Service based on service availed of to date by users. ·
Statistical
confirmation of demand for accessible transport in Lucan area. ·
Ability
for persons with a disability residing in the Lucan area to access their local services
and feel a worthwhile valued member of the community. ·
Due
to the short term of the project, it was difficult to secure personnel to take up
employment. ·
Creation
of an identifiable group of people within the local community to achieve a common goal. · Difficulty
in convincing potential customers to use the service. This was due to the temporary nature
of the pilot project and people’s reluctance to rely on a service that may be
terminated, - false promises!
The Next Step
To achieve
continuance of this much needed service, LDAG is in the initial stages of a Social Economy
Programme application. This would provide grant money over a three-year time span, with
the financial assistance forming portions of wages, overheads, training and capital costs. Marketing
plans for the future, as well as targets to aspire to would link in with and develop over
this Social Economy Programme time frame; for instance, lucrative contract work with the
local health boards would provide a subsidy for wages and other costs. As well as this,
the difficulty in convincing potential customers to use the service would be eased, as its
temporary nature was found to be off-putting to many clients. This was due to the fear of
becoming accustomed to a service that had an uncertain future after the short three-month
pilot stage. Obviously,
however, direct funding would be preferable, as even with money allocated through the
Social Economy Programme, there remains a deficit of
Euro 50,000. It is envisaged that during the first year of the programme, a manager
and two drivers will be employed, extending to three drivers in the second year and four
in the third. A grant has been received from The Department of Enterprise, Trade and
Employment of Euro 32,000 brokered through The Department of Justice, Equality and Law
Reform for the purchase of an accessible vehicle for operation from the Lucan area.
Conclusion
The Pilot
Project funding on Accessible Transport ceases on 12th April 2002. Since its
commencement, the pilot project on accessible transport has enabled people with a
disability to access opportunities and services which, due to a combination of disparity
in service provision, poor planning and the built and external environment, remained
unattainable. These include employment, education and training opportunities, hospital
appointments, day care centres, major shopping centres and other social engagements. As poor as
public transport provision is for people with a disability, even if this infrastructure
was made totally accessible by 2010, which is a target date set for completion of
adaptation of existing transport services to comply with transport legislation, the demand
for this dial-a-ride service will never abate. This is due to a number of factors,
including bus stops, which as a point of access may not facilitate people with a mobility
difficulty or disability alighting, while the majority of customers may be unable to use
public transport due to adverse weather conditions, schedules, waiting times, schedules,
etc. As well as
that, route networks do not service the majority of journeys requested by users, and there
may be a compounded difficulty in getting from their own homes to the bus stop. To achieve
continuance of this much-needed service, LDAG is in the initial stages of a Social Economy
Programme application. This would provide grant money over a three-year time span, with
the financial assistance forming portions of wages, overheads, training and capital costs.
Obviously, however, direct funding would be preferable, as even with the money allocated
through the Social Economy Programme, there remains a deficit of approximately Euro 50,000. In it’s
duration, many people’s lives have been transformed with the newly found ability to
lead a more active, independent life. Employment, education and training opportunities
have been opened up to some, as well as more routine activities which able-bodied people
take for granted, such as shopping, meeting friends, carrying out their own commercial
transactions etc. Membership
currently stands at 86, and is growing daily. However,
with the project drawing to a close, this situation will change dramatically. People with
a disability will no longer have the resource to go to work, college, shops etc., and will
endure enforced confinement once more. This would be an intolerable outcome, and must not
be allowed to happen. To this end, direct funding is crucial if this imperative service,
one that this report clearly demonstrates the undeniable need and huge demand for is to
continue. The
lives of people with a disability have been given the opportunity
to enhance their daily life for the better by use of the service.
Let us ensure that their lives can continue on this new path, and
that many more can join them on it. Acknowledgements
Lucan Disability Action Group wishes to thank
the following for their continued support and assistance: An Tanaiste,
Ms Mary Harney T.D Department
of Enterprise Trade and Employment. Junior
Minister, Ms. Mary Wallace T.D. Mr. Donal
Costelloe, Dept. of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Ms.
Catherine Tumelty, Co-Ordinator, LDAG Pilot Project. Lucan 2000 Dublin 7
– Centre for Independent Living. Vantastic FÁS LDAG also
wish to offer their appreciation to the local Councilors, TD’s, businesses, banks,
and publicans and to the Lucan community. We are truly grateful for your hard work and
commitment to the Group and its activities since our formation. |
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