Disability Access Officer Robert Ferguson Bsc Building Surveying - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Disability Access Officer • Robert Ferguson • Bsc Building Surveying Heriot Watt • West Lothian DDA Project Officer 5 years • Fife Council Access Officer 4.5 years

@ West Lothian: Main Duties: • Liaise with local Access Panels / Groups • Provide advice on DDA Compliance matters • Review project plans • Develop Access standards & formats • Carry out SPI Audits on all ‘public’ buildings • Prepare SPI return to Audit Scotland • Develop SPI Access Strategy for public buildings • Increase SPI %age from 30.4 (2006) to 66.2 (2011) • Carry out Access Audits on all schools • Develop Education Access Strategy • Carry out Access Audits as required • Generally argue with Architects & Designers!

@ Fife Council • Work with Disabilities Fife (FIDN) • Ensure compliance with the Equalities Act 2010 • Develop networks and contacts with other groups: e.g. Forth & Tay Disabled Ramblers, Hard of Hearing Forums, RNIB, PAMIS, Sense Scotland, Fife Council Social Work teams • Sit on Council disability groups: e.g. Access Awareness Group, Senior Equalities Group, Physical Disability and Sensory Impairment Strategic Improvement Group

@ Fife Council • Prepare SPI return for Fife • Draw up Access Strategies and Programme of Works • Implement Fife Council ‘Changing Places – Changing Lives Strategy’: Fife now has 15 – target is 27 • Sit on ScotGov bodies as required: e.g. Keys to Life Subgroup (100 Changing Places in Scotland by 2015); Scotland’s Town Partnership • Generally argue with Architects and designers..

@ SDEF • To support Access panels across Scotland by promoting their wider involvement in Local Authority business: e.g planning and design development • Work with the SDEF Board and Team • Represent SDEF at Parliamentary Committees, Working Groups, and other groups as required • Increased Networking across Scottish interest groups • Support panels to engage in initiatives such as 3 rd Party Hate Crime reporting, Area Tourism Partnerships, and Equality Internships

Why are Access Panels important?

Note the ‘Sportingly placed’ tree….