Louth County Council urged to appoint Disability Access Officer

Louth County Council have been urged to appoint a Disability Access Officer by the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA). 

The organisation is appealing to county councils across Ireland to appoint a dedicated Access & Inclusion Officer to improve access for people with disabilities. 

Louth County Council is one of twenty-five local authorities currently without an access officer. 

Connie Richardson is a wheelchair user who features in the 'Access- It's No Joke Video' campaign to highlight access issues such as inaccessible public transport.

"By the time I get to the bus stop, I've already overcome so many obstacles.”

“If the one wheelchair spot is taken, or the ramp is broken, I may miss my appointments, but I try to remain positive or leave the house really early to allow for these situations," she said. 

Rosaleen Lally, National Access Programme Manager with Irish Wheelchair Association, said, “Access- It's No Joke has been so popular with people reaching out to us online and sharing videos of their daily frustrations and anger about trying to access everyday local amenities.

So, this year, we are contacting county councils to find a solution to some of these access barriers.” 

According to the IWA's research, 25 of the country's 31 local authorities in Ireland do not have a dedicated, resourced Access Officer to work full-time on access to public services in the county.

The IWA is appealing to 25 county councils including Louth to appoint a dedicated Access & Inclusion Officer to enhance access for people with disabilities. The organisation is asking local councillors to pass a motion requesting funding for a full-time position in every local authority, with a dedicated budget which is a commitment in the Disability Act and listed as a priority in the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People for 2026. 

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Under Section 6 of the Disability Act 2005, all public bodies, including local authorities must appoint an Access Officer to support people with disabilities to access public services. 

Ms Lally said despite local authorities being mandated to take action, "the bare minimum isn't good enough.

“We know that many local authorities have ‘Access Officers’ but often these are simply additional job titles that are given to existing busy staff.

We know that our local authorities have dedicated hardworking staff, but they cannot break down access barriers without time, budget or experience,” she said.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.