Agenda item

Angie Carmichael, Director of Sparring Partners Productions Limited (disability training, research and consultancy), gave a presentation about the Equality Act 2010, which sought to protect individuals from unfair treatment and to promote a more fair and more equal society.

The Act offered protection to people in nine key areas (including disability) and applies to anyone supplying a service to the public, either paid or free.  This included public bodies, private organisations and voluntary sector groups.

The Act prohibited direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on grounds relating to the nine protected characteristics.  In addition, a duty was placed on Public Sector bodies to have regard to:

1.    Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation

2.    Advancement of equality of opportunity between people from different equality groups.

3.    Foster good relationships between people from different equality groups.

Angie set out a number of practical implications for disabled people, including employers and suppliers of goods/services having to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and public bodies being obliged to proactively encourage inclusion and participation.

The Chairman thanked Angie for the presentation and invited Helen Farmer, of Salisbury Wheelchair Users Group, to speak about the practicalities of access for disabled people in Salisbury.

Helen commented that there were 10.9 million disabled people in Great Britain, of which 6.2 million had a mobility disability.  It was estimated that 14% of the population of the country had a mobility disability affecting day to day activities.  Disability was also closely related to age, and this would see numbers of disabled people increase in line with anticipated rises in numbers of older people (50% rise in over-65s and 100% rise in over-85s by 2025).

Transport and travel was a major barrier preventing disabled people from accessing the city.  It was estimated that only 16% of taxis were wheelchair accessible, and most buses could only carry one wheelchair user at a time.  In addition, spaces on buses were on a “first come first served” basis, and were shared with pushchair users; as a result many wheelchair users had been refused entry onto buses, even during bad weather.

Around 4% of the UK population were entitled to a blue badge, which was designed for those with severe mobility difficulties.  There were almost 25,000 in Wiltshire and over 6,300 in the SP post code area.

In terms of the provision of disabled car parking spaces, the Local Transport Plan set out a number of minimum standards in terms of how close parking spaces should be to services.  Further standards were also set out in national parking guidelines.  However, a number of concerns had been raised regarding disabled parking provision in Salisbury, including inadequate provision of spaces, lack of dropped kerbs, and adverse camber. 

Shopmobility was considered to be a great service, offering hire of electric scooters, power chairs, manual wheelchairs and shopper walkers for only £2 a day hire, with a £5 joining fee.  However, there were a number of limitations as the service was only available from 9.30 to 4.30, was closed on Sundays, and could only be used within the ring road.

Disabled toilets were also an issue in Salisbury, as the toilets in the Marketplace were not accessible.  The nearest toilets with facilities for disabled people were in the Central Car Park, which was not always convenient.

The Chairman thanked Helen for her presentation and invited questions and comments:

·         It was suggested that disabled and non-disabled toilets could be provided by the Council buying an empty shop. It was also noted that the possibility of a lift in the marketplace public toilets had been considered, but had not been feasible at the time.

·         It was noted that a sign in the Marketplace had been changed to correctly direct disabled people to the nearest toilets at the Central Car park.  This had been done by Wiltshire Council on request.

·         Responding to a question, Helen reported that Salisbury currently provided around 50% of the minimum standards of blue badge parking.  The Area Board considered that this should be addressed as a matter of urgency, at least being increased to meeting the minimum standards, and preferably to match the number blue badge holders as a percentage of the local population.

·         Reference was made to wheelchair users having to use the road due to the lack of dropped kerbs, and due to pavements being too narrow and uneven.

·         In relation to the alleged abuse of blue badges, it was noted that in many cases this may be due to a misunderstanding by third parties.  Not all blue badge holders had a visually obvious disability, and the badges could be used by people who had a disabled person in the vehicle, provided it was for the benefit of the badge holder.  It was also noted that Parking Attendants could demand to see blue badges and could report any abuse. 

Decision

The Salisbury Area Board recommends as follows to the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport:

a)    That the number of disabled parking spaces in Salisbury be increased to meet the minimum standards set out in national guidelines.

b)   That the number of disabled parking spaces be brought up to proportionate standards in terms of the numbers of blue badge holders in the SP postcode area.

c)    That the Cabinet Member and officers liaise with Salisbury Wheelchair Users Group to identify where dropped kerbs are required for on-street parking by wheelchair users.

ACTION: James Hazlewood