A local councillor has welcomed the installation of a new handrail on Graiguecullen’s bridge as a step forward for accessibility in the town.
The handrail was installed following lobbying by the Access Group in the Carlow branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association, and petitioning from People Before Profit Cllr Adrienne Wallace.
However, Cllr Wallace noted that there remained a need to improve accessibility locally, with wider footpaths and the repavement of Tullow Street being amongst the top priorities.
She said that an access officer on Carlow County Council is key to achieveing these goals.
“Under law, every local authority is actually meant to have an access officer, but there’s only one employed full-time in the whole of Ireland. It makes sure that accessibility is at the forefront of every plan, and its not something that is an afterthought, or something that is left behind or forgotten about, and I think that’s very important, we absolutely need an accessibility officer in Carlow, this is a move in the right direction, and hopefully it gets us a step closer to getting an accessibility officer in the town as well.”
