Wicklow County Council Internal Disability and Inclusion Steering Committee.

December 2020, the elected members of Wicklow County Council voted to ratify a new internal Disability and Inclusion Steering Committee. This made them the first local authority in the country to formally invest in disability inclusion in this way.

The establishment of the committee is a result of Wicklow County Council’s ongoing partnership with DFI and their commitment to making the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UN CRPD, a reality for the people of Wicklow.

Since 2017, a member of DFI’s community team has been funded by the council to work directly with them, two days per week. The role complements rather than replaces the role of the access officer. It aims, primarily to:  

• Achieve a coordinated approach to making the services the council provides accessible to all
• Make sure the councils own plans and policies, for example, the County Development Plan, reflect the needs of people with disabilities.

The new Disability and Inclusion Steering Committee creates a space for DFI’s work with the council to be even more inclusive. It is facilitated by the council but is led by people with disabilities working in cooperation with all of the key people and organisations, who can help make change happen.  

Michael Nicholson, Director of Services, chairs the committee, which also includes:

• People with disabilities,
• Additional senior council staff,
• Elected representatives from each Municipal district,
• the DFI Disability Officer and Wicklow County Council Access Officer,
• Other key community representatives from the Public Participation Network PPN, Children and Young Peoples Services Committee CYPSC, Local Sports Partnership and Development Companies.

If you’d like to know more about our work with Wicklow County Council or get advice on how you can create something similar in your county, please contact pjcleere@disability-federation.ie