Ms Dolores Murphy:

Obstacles in the community are reported regularly to IWA, particularly in the consultations that were held in our resource centres throughout the country before we wrote up this third edition of the guidelines. Obstacles arise when people try to access the most basic facilities. We have regular reports, for example, that public toilet facilities available to wheelchair users are not fit for purpose for most people who require them. Wheelchair users might find they cannot close the bathroom door behind them or, even if they can get it closed, they are unable to manoeuvre within the space. That is a perennial problem and one of the major barriers to wheelchair users' capacity to get out and about and have a social life.

Another persistent issue that is reported relates to parking. We often hear, for instance, about parking that is not properly designed and has inadequate space for the person to take his or her wheelchair out of the car and transfer into it. In some cases, parking is provided at a location that is not adjacent to the person's destination. We have had reports, too, of buildings with lifts that are not sufficiently large to allow a person using a powered wheelchair to enter or have a person accompany him or her. At one of our public consultations in Cork, a person reported a building that had a lift which went only to the second floor but not the third or fourth.

If a person wanted to be part of what was happening in that building, he or she could only be part of what was happening on floors 1 and 2. Numerous problems are reported in this regard and they are legacy issues, but we hope there may be a way to deal with and address some of them. That is why we have suggested a tax incentive scheme might be considered which could encourage and promote businesses, community services and facilities to undertake adaptation works that would improve the facilities available.

The Irish Wheelchair Association is regularly asked whether there is a grant or some facility available to support people and help to improve the service they are providing. This could relate to a person with bed and breakfast accommodation, a youth club or a local community resource centre. There is no such grant available. We consider the availability of a tax incentive to undertake works, particularly intended to provide increased and better levels of access, would be an incentive to promote better accessibility in existing buildings.