Make Way Day is a campaign that brings disabled people and the wider community together to consider the needs of disabled people in the public spaces we all share. If we consider a typical residential street on a bin collection day. Trying to negotiate a stream of cars parked on the footpath, littered with poorly placed wheelie bins is a challenge for any person and may result in a person’s journey being impeded or force them onto the road. Therefore, being more thoughtful as to where you place your bin, and park your car, can go a long way in improving conditions within public spaces for disabled people and for those that choose to walk, scoot or cycle.
Make Way Day is a day of action to highlight the difficulties and dangers that wheelie bins, vehicles and other obstacles placed on footpaths create for disabled people. Every day disabled people find themselves having to risk their safety by going out onto busy roads to avoid barriers on pavements.
As part of Make Way Day, each year South Dublin County Council calls on all road users to consider how we can play our part in improving road safety for ourselves and others by sharing their insights and images of every day obstacles using the hashtag #MakeWayDay.
In the two videos below Professor Patrick Costigan and Dissability Activist and Tallaght resident Carolyn Akintola spoke to us on Make Way Day 2023 about the barriers they can encounter while engaging in their local communities.