The South Dublin County Disability Advisory and Consultative Panel was established in January 2010. It is a joint initiative between South Dublin County Council (SDCC), and disabled people who live or work in the County.
Our function is to advise SDCC on key issues that are relevant to the lives and interests of disabled people in the County; and to have both an advisory role and a consultative role (as appropriate) to developments in the County that are led by the Council.
The Panel is voluntary and we meet monthly. All members have a personal or professional interest in ensuring that facilities, services and activities that the Council deliver are designed to be accessible by all members of our community, including disabled people. Many of us are also members of voluntary disability groups in the country and we have been active in the past on disability related issues. We aim to enhance countywide consultation processes and not to replace them!
We are aware that to be effective we need to understand how the County is managed. We also need to encourage those responsible for planning and decision making in the County to keep up to date with international and national strategies that empower disabled people to participate fully in all aspects of community life. This requires considerable co-operation and collaboration.
In addition to providing advice to, and consulting with, Planners, Architects, Librarians, Sports Officers and so on we also host one seminar each year to focus on and highlight key issues. In 2019 the seminar explored implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at local level in South Dublin County. We also participate in National Accessibility Week each year and contribute to the Accessible South Dublin Facebook page.
In 2015 we were awarded a Best Practice in Citizen Engagement commendation in the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards.
Membership of the Panel
- Individual disabled people who are residents of South Dublin County – also members of / active in:
- Chime.ie
- Lucan Disability Action Group
- National Council for the Blind of Ireland
- Cheeverstown House Ltd
- Stewarts Services
- South Dublin County Partnership Disability Interest Group
- National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities - County Disability Advocates
In 2024 we are continuing to promote universal design and implement our annual workplan.
You can contact the Panel through the Disability Liaison, Access and Equality Officer