'Not good enough' - Laois must tackle access issues for wheelchair users

The Irish Wheelchair Association has called for Laois County Council to focus on removing access barriers for wheelchair users and appoint a dedicated Access & Inclusion Officer for Laois.

The IWA will launch its annual access campaign, 'Access - It's No Joke,' on Wednesday, April 1. The focus of this year's campaign will be getting local councillors and county councils on board with eliminating access issues for wheelchair users in the local community. 

The IWA's research shows that 81% of local authorities do not have a dedicated Access Officer to improve access to public services, including Laois County Council.

To address this, the organisation has appealed to Laois County Council to appoint a dedicated Access & Inclusion Officer.

'Access - It’s No Joke' is a humorous video campaign with a serious side, highlighting access barriers that people with disabilities face in local communities.

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The campaign began as a series of humorous online videos with high-profile comedians such as Anna Clifford, David McSavage and Owen Colgan highlighting the barriers people with disabilities face to access everyday amenities like public pathways, public transport, parks, parking bays and coffee shops.

The campaign grew online and people with disabilities joined the campaign, sharing their own videos of the everyday accessibility barriers they encounter.

Connie Richardson is a wheelchair user who features in the 'Access - It's No Joke' video campaign to highlight access issues such as inaccessible public transport.

"By the time I get to the bus stop, I've already overcome so many obstacles. If the one wheelchair spot is taken, or the ramp is broken, I may miss my appointments, but I try to remain positive or leave the house really early to allow for these situations," Connie explained.

Rosaleen Lally, National Access Programme Manager with the IWA, said that this year the organisation is contacting county councils to try find solutions to some of these issues.

According to the IWA's research, 25 local authorities in Ireland do not have a dedicated, resourced Access Officer to work full-time on access to public services in the county.

IWA’s research across Ireland’s 31 local authorities found only 3 counties with a dedicated Access Officer - Dublin, Westmeath and Wexford.

The organisation is asking local councillors in Laois to pass a motion requesting funding for a full-time position with a dedicated budget which is a commitment in the Disability Act and listed as a priority in the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People for 2026.

According to the IWA, this is happening "in theory" but not in reality.

"People with disabilities need better access to public transport, healthcare, housing and amenities like parks and pools. Local authorities have been mandated by the 2025 Disability Act to take action. But the bare minimum isn’t good enough," Rosaleen said.

"We know that many local authorities have ‘Access Officers’ but often these are simply additional job titles that are given to existing busy staff. We know that our local authorities have dedicated hardworking staff, but they cannot break down access barriers without time, budget or experience."

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme