Disabled access - letter to press

4.00.08pm GMT Fri 11th Nov 2005

Scope, the Disability Organisation, published a report after the General and County elections in May that said that potentially 68% of polling stations around the country were inaccessible for disabled people. If true, this is an outrageous statistic. Disabled people have a right to participate in the democratic process as much as anyone else by being able to cast their vote in person. Their voices should not be ignored by society.

The issue of access must be tackled because political participation is key to successful policies and action. The voices of disabled people must not be ignored by society. I have asked the Authority to look into this issue and ensure its own buildings and those accessed by the public at large meet with the required minimum standard.

Under the Single Equality Act, disability legislation is put on a par with race and sex discrimination. This legislation, calls for improved access to and within administrative councils, heritage buildings and includes public buildings such as shops, cinemas and sports centres. This is to encourage measures to increase accessibility for people with disabilities, promoting mobility and access in the community.

I do not know Oxfordshire's access figures for public buildings - I very much hope that they are much better than the national figure - but I have asked for that information. In the meantime, I would be very interested to learn of any experiences from your readers about access difficulties in May and within public buildings in the County as a whole. People can contact me c/o County Hall, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1ND.

Yours faithfully

Cllr Chris Wise