The Role of UCD’s Disability Access Officer
My name is Tina Lowe and I am the Disability Access Officer for UCD. My remit is to ensure that UCD is in compliance with The Disability Act 2005. This Act was created to progress and embed the participation of people with disabilities in society by supporting the provision of disability specific services and improving access to mainstream public services.
In my role as Disability Access Officer, I am charged with ensuring that UCD is in compliance with The Disability Act 2005. By making a practical interpretation of the legal requirements regarding UCD’s accessibility, UCD must endeavour to provide or arrange for and co-ordinate assistance and guidance to people with disabilities who access UCD. My role, under the guidance of the Director of Access and Lifelong Learning, is to oversee and implement a disability action access plan to incorporate access to buildings and services, including way-finding and signage. In collaboration with my role as Disability Access Officer, an Oversight Group has been established which will work toward the implementation of a Disability Access Action Plan for the campus. The Disability Access Action plan for UCD will be created in compliance with The Disability Act 2005 and will focus on the relevant sections of the Act (Sections 25 to section 29, Sections 38 to 40 and Section 47).
The Disability Access Action Plan will be co-ordinated, monitored, developed and enacted on in consultation with the Oversight Group. The Oversight Group will comprise of UCD staff from many areas, including:
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Buildings and Services |
Senior Academics |
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Health and Safety |
Human Resources |
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School of Architecture |
Teaching and Learning Centre |
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Landscape and Civil Engineering |
Access and Lifelong Learning |
As part of my role as Disability Access Officer I endeavour to plan and promote Universal Access in UCD, through training, local support, technical advice and consultation with people with disabilities.
Complaints Procedure under the Disability Act 2005
The Disability Act 2005 provides that a head of a public body (in this case UCD), must draw up and publish procedures for the making and investigation of complaints in relation to the failure of the public body (UCD), to comply with section 25, 26, 27, 28 or 29 of the Act.
The head of UCD may appoint "Inquiry Officers" for the purposes of investigating complaints made under section 38 of this Act. Having investigated a complaint, an Inquiry Officer will send a report of his/her investigation to the head of the public body (UCD), and to the complainant.
Please click on the following link for futher information: Making a complaint under the Disability Act 2005
