Our Work:

The focus of our work is primarily on environmental accessibility; that is the built environment in Galway City - buildings, streets and open spaces, parks etc. This work will often also include areas such as public transport and traffic control systems.

Access For All works closely with a range of agencies and organisations who can assist in making Galway a more accessible city. Our aim is to ensure that accessibility problems with the existing built environment are fully corrected and that all new developments are universally accessible. Basically, we are trying to make it easier for people of all abilities to get around Galway City.

We do this in a number of ways:

• Working closely with Galway City Council to monitor the ongoing development and improvement of the local built environment
• Working closely with disability organisations in identifying priority accessibility issues locally
• Promoting awareness and training of universal design within the local design and construction sector
• Developing best practice policy submissions that can inform the development of the local built environment

Examples of past and recent projects that Access For All has undertaken include:

• Co-ordinating the delivery of the Universal Accessibility Auditing Programme (University of Ulster) to Local Authority staff and local architects
• Development of the Disability Access Awareness Programme for students in NUIG and GMIT
• Supporting Galway City Council in the ongoing delivery of its Accessibility Implementation Plan
• Co-ordination of the 2007 Social Inclusion Networking Event – Making Galway an Accessible City
• Accessibility survey of Galway City Bus Eireann services (in progress)
• Developing a Galway City Access Map. This project, currently in progress, will see the development of an web-based map tool providing up-to-date practical information on accessibility around Galway City