Mayor marks International Day of People with Disabilities
The Mayor of Dudley went out for a walk with a wheelchair user and her assistance dog as part of International Day of People with Disabilities.
The day, which was initiated by the UN in 1992, is an international day of celebration for people living with disabilities, held every year on December 3. It’s a day for celebration, learning, optimism and action.
The Mayor of Dudley was asked by one of her charities, Access in Dudley to support the day and raise awareness of disabilities. The group, which is currently in its 21st year was recently awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Access in Dudley is a local, user-led charitable organisation which works to improve disabled people’s access within the community, identifying access issues in buildings, parks and open spaces and in service provision and information. They work with the public, local authorities, businesses and other disability groups to resolve these issues. The members are all volunteers who are predominately disabled. Having experienced access issues firsthand they can give valuable insights and advice to improve access.
The Mayor took to the streets alongside Access in Dudley member, and friend Bethann Siviter with assistance dog Ruben to get a taste of what a wheelchair user has to negotiate on a daily basis including pavements with poorly parked cars, lack of dropped kerbs and drivers parking over dropped kerbs.
The Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Hilary Bills, said:
"In the past we labelled people as disabled, as we saw their impairments as a burden, with obstacles being inevitable. Times have changed. We now realise that a society that fails to be accepting and accessible creates disability.
“Working with groups such as Access in Dudley we work together to remove obstacles, create access and bring acceptance, that we reduce disability. By reducing disability, we increase opportunities and improve life for everyone."
To donate to the Mayor’s Charity appeal visit https://www.mayorofdudley.org.uk/charities
Find out more about Access in Dudley https://accessindudley.org.uk/
More on International Day of People with Disabilities https://idpwd.org/