Having
a disability in Ireland can be very expensive. At present there is no adequate accessible public transport provided throughout Ireland for people with disabilities. The Department of Social Welfare issues free travel passes, however we can not use them because we can't get on most public transport.
I
was re0ally looking forward to my week holiday in Tralee. I planned to take the 11.00 am train from Heuston station which would get me to Tralee at 3.25 pm. The evening before I rang Bus Eireann to enquire about a suitable accessible bus to bring me to Heuston station. It was 6.00 pm and I could find nobody to give me the information. My only alternative was to book a taxi.
The following morning a taxi arrived, it wasn't a wheelchair accessible taxi and the taxi driver refused to take me. He telephoned for another taxi. When the taxi finally arrived the driver helped me in but didn't think to put the usual safety belt on my wheelchair. As we journeyed towards the station, which was only a short distance, my wheelchair nearly tumbled upside down. I was holding on to the grab-bars for dear life. I certainly didn't feel very safe. When we got to Heuston station it was about 10.50 am. I felt I needed to use the toilet however the toilet was locked and the person who had the key couldn't be found. As time was ticking on I decided to leave it and get on the train.
Soon after I started my trip to Tralee, a long journey of four hours and twenty-five minutes. I went to look for the toilet and found one at the end of the carriage but discovered that I couldn't get my wheelchair in the door. I was feeling very annoyed and anxious. When the inspector came along to check my ticket I asked him about an accessible toilet. He told me there was one at Limerick Junction which was an hour and a half away. That hour and a half was endless. I felt it was so unfair to have to sit there in agony while everyone else appeared to have no trouble. When we finally arrived at Limerick Junction thanks to the kindly inspector the train stopped for about ten minutes so that I could be helped both on and off. I felt so angry and the pain was unbearable.
I continued my journey to Tralee. The train arrived at Mallow Station at 1.30 pm where I had to change onto another train, this meant getting from one platform to another, across a bridge in four minutes. This was impossible because a lot of stairs were involved. I had to go to the ticket office to let someone know that I had a problem. As I was discussing this, the train which had planned to connect with at Mallow departed. I had missed my train. What could I do? I had to wait two hours and twenty minutes for the next train. This experience was one which I certainly do not want again.
I was travelling on the train to Mayo one cold November night and I arrived at Manulla Junction. We had to change trains to get to Ballina and my wheelchair wouldn't go in the door of the train. I was put in the trailer, can you imagine it? The doors were locked, I felt like a wild animal. The trailer was cold, dark and wet. I travelled a half hour in this black box. I felt so hurt, angry and afraid.
I
was going home for the weekend to my parents in County Meath. I got a wheelchair accessible taxi to Store Street which was quite expensive - £8. When I went to get my ticket, the girl asked me all kinds of questions such as. Would I be able to get on and off the bus myself or had I someone with me?". Her questions annoyed me. When I said no, she told me in future when I was coming to bring a helper. I found her insensitive.
Everyone was getting on the bus without any trouble. When it came to my turn to get on the bus driver refused to lift me, telling me he has back problems. It was thanks to one of the passengers who kindly offered to lift me that I was able to go home.
Now when I am going home for the weekend to my parents. They have to collect me in Dublin which means that I can't go home when I like. I feel this is very unfair.
I
planned to spend the day shopping in the Ilac Centre and around the town one Saturday . I made my way on my Electric Wheelchair which took me about twenty minutes. During the day I noticed that the wheelchair was losing the power very quickly and within minutes it was barely moving. I went for a telephone and rang for an accessible wheelchair taxi to bring me home.
I was told it would take about a half an hour for the taxi to come. An hour past and there was no sign of the taxi. I asked one of the Security Guards who worked in the centre could he phone me a taxi and explained I had been waiting over an hour.
They told him the taxi would be there in twenty minutes. I waited and waited but, there was no sign of it. I felt totally stranded and helpless. I was aware the time was going by and the shopping centre was closing in ten minutes. I made it to the telephone again, I rang them to enquire how long they were going to be. In the end had to wait about two full hours for a taxi.
1. There should be legislation that public Transport be made accessible for all.
2. A properly organised taxi service for wheelchair users needs to be set up.
3. The present Bus/train service needs to be examined
Plenty of spaces available for wheelchair. |
Safety belts or clamps. |
An accessible toilet on trains. |
An accessible toilet at all stations. |
Wide doors into all buses and trains. |
Information available on accessible transport. |
Ramps to get from one platform to another at all train station. |
At least one fully accessible carriage on each train. |
I think the Minister for Transport should be put in a wheelchair for a week and try to travel around Ireland on a social welfare payment
There are 25 DART Stations in Dublin. There are 16 stations which are totally accessible:
Bray |
Howth |
Harmonstown |
Pearse Street |
Shankill |
Sutton |
Killester |
Landsdowne Road |
Dalkey |
Killbarrack |
Connolly Stn |
Sandymount |
Sandycove |
Raheny |
Tara Street |
Sydney Parade |
There are 7 stations which are partly accessible:
Blackrock |
Howth Junction |
Salthill |
Dun Laoghaire |
Killiney |
Booterstown |
Seapoint |
While Seapoint Station is partly accessible, you wouldn't bring a wheelbarrow down the ramps, let alone a wheelchair. Access is very difficult. There are two stations not accessible:
Bayside |
Glenageary |
Only 8% of DART Stations are not accessible.
A friend and I, travelled to a number of DART Stations in the city of Dublin. Things we noted:
1) Entrance/Exit to the Station.
2) Access to platforms.
3) Access to ticket desks.
4) Was there an accessible toilet at each DART Station.
5) Lifts.
6) Overhead Bridges.
7) Accessibility to DART.
8) Timetables
9) Public Phones
1)
The entrance of the station is up steps but is accessible using a very steep ramp which leads you onto the platforms. A person in a wheelchair would find it impossible to push themselves up the ramp. The exit is the same.
2) Both northbound and southbound platforms are accessed by using a very steep ramp which lead up to a gate. A person in a wheelchair would find it extremely difficult to push themselves up it.
3) The gate has to be unlocked by the ticket desk attendant. If a person was on his/her own there would be no way for them to get in touch with the attendant for the key, unless they went to the front entrance where all the steps are and asked a passer-by to inform the attendant to unlock the gate for them. The ticket desk is not accessible from the station unless the internal gate is opened. The window of the ticket desk is slightly too high.
4) There are toilets at this station but there is no accessible toilet.
6) A person in a wheelchair would need assistance getting on and off the train as there is a wide gap and a slight step. The train doors are wide enough and there is room for a wheelchair inside. 8) The timetables are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to read them.
9) The public phones are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to use them.
1)
The entrance to the station is accessible. When exiting the northbound platform a person goes through the gate where they again have to ring the bell for the gate to be released. When exiting the southbound platform a person can either, go through the station or the gate beside the station. 2) There is a ramp to the station from the car park which has two parking spaces for the use of drivers with a disability.
3) Access to southbound platform is through the station or gate which will be opened on request. Northbound platform is accessed through gate using ramp, from very busy Junction on road at far side of station. This gate is always locked but there is a bell which is connected to the ticket desk. 4) A person in a wheelchair would need assistance getting on the train as there is a wide gap and a slight step.
5) The timetables are at an appropriate height for a person in a wheelchair to read.
7) There is an overhead bridge from one platform to the other with steps at both ends of it.
8) The bus-stop outside the station has a timetable that is too high up for a person in a wheelchair to read.
9) The public phones are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to use them.
1)
Main front entrance to DART station consists of two flights of stairs. A person in a wheelchair can only enter the DART station by the side entrance of the main train station which is about 1/4 mile (from Amiens Street, Opposite Bus Eireann). A person in a wheelchair can only exit through the main train station.
2) To gain access to the platforms is difficult. Both ramps leading to the Northbound platform are very steep. A person in a wheelchair would need assistance here. The southbound platform is more accessible. When ramps are wet they become slippery and extremely dangerous.
3) The ticket desks are too high for a person in a wheelchair to reach.
4) The only accessible toilet is on platform 5 and one has to ask the station master for the key to open the door. There are toilets for able-bodied persons located the centre of the main train station and also on platform 5.
6) A person in a wheelchair would need assistance getting on to the train as there is a wide gap and a slight step. The train doors are wide enough and there is room for a wheelchair inside.
7) The timetables are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to read them.
8) The public phones are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to use.
1)
Both entrance/Exit the station are very accessible.
2) A person in a wheelchair can get to the southbound/ northbound platforms by using the lifts.
3) The ticket desks are extremely high for a person in a wheelchair to reach them.
4) There are both able-bodied toilets and an accessible toilet in the bar of the station. The accessible toilet is very small and the handles on the doors are very stiff making it difficult for a person in a wheelchair to open.and the flush handle is too high to reach.
5) Northbound lift is located inside the station however the southbound lift is located on the street which means it is sometimes used as a public toilet.
6) At this station the gap is even wider between the platform and the DART and also there is a very high step from the platform to the DART. You would need someone to assist you getting on and off the DART.
7) The timetables are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to read them.
8) The public phones are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to use them.
1)
Both entrance/Exit to the station are very accessible.
2) There is a lift to the Southbound platform. There is a ramp to the Northbound platform however, it is very steep and a person in a wheelchair would find it extremely difficult to push themselves up it.
3) The ticket desks are extremely high for a person in a wheelchair to reach them.
5) There are toilets located on both southbound and northbound platforms. There is an accessible toilet located on the southbound platform. This toilet is both clean and very spacious.
7) At this station there is a small gap between the platform and the DART and also there is a slight step from the platform to the DART. You would need someone to assist you getting on and off the DART.
8) The timetables are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to read them.
9) The public phones are extremely
high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to use them.
1)
This station is accessible but the ramp is quite steep. To exit the station when on the southbound platform you have to get a key which means waiting until someone comes and asking them to notify one of the staff in the station on the northbound side to open the gate. There should be a electric device fitted on the gate of the southbound platform to enable the staff to open the gate from the opposite side of the station.
2) The ticket desks are extremely high for a person in a wheelchair to reach them. ÛNo accessible toilet available.
3) At this station there is a small gap between the platform and the DART and also there is a slight step from the platform to the DART. You would need someone to assist you getting on and off the DART.
4) The timetables are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to read them.
5) The public phones are extremely high making it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to use them.
Advantages of accessible taxis
1. |
A person with a disability or mobility difficulties can stay in their wheelchair. |
2. |
Can carry a person who uses a electric wheelchair. |
3. |
They are very spacious. |
Disadvantages of accessible taxi
1. |
They are very expensive. |
2. |
They are not reliable. When you ring the company looking for an accessible taxi you could wait a hour as they are often very busy. |
3. |
Portable ramps are very steep. |
4. |
Drivers are not willing to put the safely belt on your wheelchair. The chair can move freely around the taxis. |
Vanastic began originally as the Centre of Independent Living's response to the inaccessible public transport service in the Dublin area. The service started in early 1995. They provide a fully accessible transport service to people with disabilities in the Dublin area. They are currently running two vans - one of which was partly funded through 'People in Need' and the other one is second hand.
How the Service Works
Vantastic is a fully accessible, dial-a-ride transport service that operates from a central base control using a radio system to communicate with vehicles on the road. Customers are asked to book by phone 24 hours in advance. The driver then follows a list maintaining contant communications with the radio base and, if time permits, catering for extra customers. This service operates from 8 am to 11 pm seven days a week. When drivers complete their shifts they submit a 'Driver's Sheet' detailing work done while on duty.
Advantages of Vantastic
1. Provides fully accessible transport service to people with disabilities in the Dublin area. (Two fully accessible vans in operation).
2. Affordable transport service (£2 pick-up and 20p a mile).
3. Their vans can carry up to five people in wheelchairs and five able-bodies people.
4. A person with a disability or mobility difficulties can stay in there wheelchair.
5. Your wheelchair is clamped in the van.
6. The Driver's are trained how to deal with customer's needs.
7. They cover a large route in the Dublin area.
Disadvantages of Vantastic
1. They are very unreliable.
2. Only have two accessible vans. They need many more.
Written by | Liz Halton |
Phone (353) 01 6713174 |
Appartment III |
First postde-up: April 20th, 1997, coding by Andrew Hunt