Disability Committee

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04b785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Councillor Keith Martin </B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Councillor Keith Martin "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="news21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U><I><B><U>Back to news page</U></B></I></U></A></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="089969a0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="154" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>Disabilities Committee Established</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Westport Town Council is to set up a Barcelona Committee to oversee the town's compliance with its commitments under the Barcelona Convention on Disabilities.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Independent Cllr Keith Martin who has raised the issue of such a committee at several previous meetings under Any Other Business welcomed the setting up of the committee at the July meeting of Westport Town Council.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Stating that 7% of the town's population were disabled in some way Cllr Martin said Westport Town Council should aim high in relation to disability compliance. "Disability access is not a privilege it is a right and I welcome this move forward today. The good news for Westport is that can be improved on greatly with a little work, time and money" said Cllr Martin.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> The council was informed by Town Clerk Ann Moore that, since singing up to the Barcelona Declaration in December of 2003, the council has worked closely with a number of organisations towards making Westport more accessible.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> The councillors were informed that the council was taking a number of initiatives towards the issues including the ensuring of compliance in all planning permissions, the creation of new pedestrian routes and road crossings and the creation of more disabled parking bays in the town centre.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Cllr Martin and the councillors paid tribute to the Town's Architect Simon Wall and Town Engineer Gerry McDonnell for their work so far. Cllr Martin was proposed for a place on the committee by Cllr Dave Keating and seconded by the Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Martin Keane. Cathaoirleach Cllr Brendan Mulroy and Cllr Tereasa McGuire were also selected to serve on the Barcelona Committee. </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>