Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 14 October 2021
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters
From Accessibility to Universal Design: Discussion
Ms Jean Richardson:
Ms Smith and I, as her advocate, will both answer that question if that is okay. When Ms Smith and I went into the Government working group, it became extremely clear that the proposals of the working group would necessitate changes to the Building Control Regulations 1997 to 2021 and Technical Guidance Document M. The documents we have been working on and the draft documents which are available are the building regulations, part amended, Technical Guidance Document M - Access and Use, a preliminary regulatory impact analysis and an easy-read consultation document, which are currently being finalised by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. These reflect the recommendations of the working group to the public consultation on the matter. It is really about gleaning exactly what people with disabilities need. The easy-read document will go up live as well. When we talk about the changing places facilities, it is about people with complex needs and about not being excluded. It is that group that is being missed and excluded from life for so long.
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