The National Disability Authority's
Excellence through Accessibility award
was presented to
Clare County Council
for the
Scarriff Area Office
on December 3rd, 2008.
Scarriff Area Office
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
Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (Mayor of Clare)
and
Sean Lenihan (Senior Executive Engineer, Clare County Council).
The accessible toilet in Scarriff Area Office is well constructed and spacious. The grab rails are colour contrasted to assist visitors with vision impairments.
The signs in Scarriff Area Office have good colour contrast, sans-serif fonts, tactile lettering, and Braille.
The car park in Scarriff Area Office has clearly-marked accessible parking bays.
A platform lift has been installed to ensure that all customers can move around the office easily.
Clare County Council's commitment to accessible customer service is communicated to visitors to Scarriff Area Office.
Clare County Council's mission is to pursue excellence through service delivery and inclusive partnership to advance the social, cultural, economic and environmental development of County Clare. The newly built Scarriff Area Office opened in July 2007 and provides services including a cash office, Information Services, Motor Tax, Register of Electors, Water and Sewerage Connections, and Road Maintenance. Services are available at this office at public counters, by phone and online via the Clare County Council website.
Clare County Council's Customer Service Action Plan contains a number of commitments to accessibility and Equal Status legislation, to ensure that customers with disabilities will be treated equally.
The steps and ramp to the main entrance of Scarriff Area Office are well configured and tactile paving provides appropriate guidance to people with vision impairments. Handrails are installed to assist persons with restricted mobility. A separate bicycle rail has been provided to ensure that the entrance will not be obstructed by parked bicycles. The dedicated car park beside the office has two accessible parking bays. There are many design features inside the building to accommodate the needs of customers with disabilities, including a ramp and a platform lift. The accessible toilet is well constructed, with colour contrasted grab rails to assist visitors with vision impairments. A panic alarm has been fitted with an alert light positioned in clear view within the main reception area.
The Clare Local Authorities Accessible Information Policy
contains a strong commitment to providing information in alternative formats, such as large print, audio or Braille. The Clare County Council website achieves a very high level of accessibility. Most web pages conform to all of the current accessibility guidelines, and some elements have been designed to conform to the next generation of accessibility guidelines as well. All new content published to the website is reviewed for accessibility.
Pictured at the presentation of the Excellence through Accessibility award are:
Some of the people who worked to improve the accessibility of Scarriff Area Office are:
![Some of the staff who worked on accessibility for [site name].](_D3C7847.jpg)