The National Disability Authority's
Excellence through Accessibility award
was presented to
Revenue
for
Revenue House, Cork
on December 3rd, 2008.
Revenue House, Cork,
achieved the
highest
level of the award, which
is Excellence
.
The award was presented by
Minister John Moloney T.D., Minister of State with Special Responsibility for Equality, Disability and Mental Health to
Tony Buckley (Assistant Secretary General, SWR (South West Region) Regional Office, Revenue)
and
Michael Connery (Higher Executive Officer, SWR Regional Office, Revenue).
Accessible car parking bays are provided beside the entrance to Revenue House, Cork. The parking bays are clearly marked and spacious. The parking bays allow drivers to exit their vehicle on whichever side they prefer.
The entrance to Revenue House, Cork, has a power assisted door. The push-button for activating the doors is easy to reach.
Signage in Revenue House, Cork, uses clear fonts, tactile lettering, Braille, good colour contrast, and images.
Induction loops are available for customers with hearing aids. Large signs inform customers that the induction loops are available.
Public computers in Revenue House, Cork, are accessible. One computer has a trackball and a keyboard with large keys and colour contrast. Another computer has headphones and can read out the information on the screen to the customer. There is a mixture of desk heights available.
The toilets in Revenue House, Cork, are accessible to all customers. The toilets are spacious and have grab-rails with good colour contrast, and a cord to pull if there is an emergency. The sign on the door uses clear fonts, Braille, good colour contrast, and images.
Revenue's mission is to serve the community by fairly and efficiently collecting taxes and duties and implementing Customs controls. Cork's Revenue House opened in May and will be used by over 100,000 customers per year. The property is managed by the Office of Public Works on behalf of Revenue.
All telephone calls from PAYE (Pay As You Earn) customers in the South-West region are dealt with by staff at Revenue House. Revenue House staff have consulted extensively with the Cork Access Group, which represents local disability organisations. Revenue have developed an Implementation Plan for accessibility by using the Excellence through Accessibility framework, to ensure a high standard in relation to customer services, built environment, and information and communication technology. Revenue has produced newsletters to inform staff about accessibility features in the building, including induction loops, lower counters, and powered doors. Over 400 staff throughout the organisation have received Disability Equality training.
The public counters are well designed and fitted with induction loop systems. The toilets are accessible, spacious and well laid-out. The queuing system for the consultation desks in the public hall is fully accessible, with both audible and visual announcements. Colour contrast in the public hall is good, with dark seating and desks highlighted against a light background.
Procedures are in place for dealing with requests for information in alternative formats and requests for sign language interpreters. Revenue Cork have converted key documents into alternative formats. Procedures have been written to reflect the organisation's commitment to the use of clear, user-focused language. Revenue Cork have engaged with external consultants and their own I.T. (Information Technology) team to ensure that their public computers are as accessible as possible. Two of the public computers have low-level desks. One of these has screen-reader software, and the other has a large-key keyboard and a large tracker ball.
Pictured at the presentation of the Excellence through Accessibility award are:
Some of the people who worked to improve the accessibility of Revenue House, Cork, are:
