A family carer in Kilkenny is leading calls for the upcoming Abbey Quarter development to be more wheelchair-friendly.
Fiona O’Neill says a specialised changing place facility for disabled adults is desperately needed within the ongoing project.
The facility would be the first of its kind in Kilkenny, as Linda says others across the county are too small to have received accreditation .
Fiona is heavily involved with Kilkenny PPN, as part of its social inclusion pillar.
She says the current lack of a standardised changing facility is causing huge difficulty for local disabled adults;
“It’s actually shocking” she told KCLR News. “There are people in Kilkenny who, when they’re caring for these adults who have to get changed throughout the day, have to put them on the floor of the wheelchair-toilets to change them, because they don’t have the right facilities. So it’s imperative, it’s absolutely vital, that the Abbey Quarter has these facilities. Now, while it’s still being built, is the time to incorporate it into the plans.”
Fiona says there are many businesses in Kilkenny who have come close to providing a recognised ‘changing place facility’ but have not met the regulations.
She’s outlined what should set the facility apart, explaining that “People are familiar with the standard wheelchair facility toilet, but the changing place should actually be a full room. It’s meant to be a 12m2 facility which has a hoist system with a ceiling track that goes around the room. It’s for adults, or older teenagers, who have disabilities. People who are coming into Kilkenny, be it for shopping or tourism, that have an adult in a wheelchair, need to be accommodated.”
Fiona says such a facility within the Abbey Quarter would be a huge boost for wider Kilkenny, as the county has garnered a reputation for not being wheelchair friendly;
“When the Irish Wheelchair Association have day-trips, their bus would head out for the day to get people out of their homes and things like that. But they’re not coming to Kilkenny, because Kilkenny is not wheelchair friendly. There are even some hotels here that don’t have the facilities for somewhere with a wheelchair to just stay for the night.”
