DUNDEE ACCESS GROUP
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 IN THOMAS HERD HOUSE, WARD ROAD, DUNDEE.
PRESENT: Erik Cramb, Anne Farrow, Lillian Malcolm, Heather Flood, Dorothy Wilson, Sandy Cameron, Denise Cameron, Fiona Finlayson, Bill Varney, Bryan Hill.
APOLOGIES: Jan Goodall, Carole Craig, Denis Bethell.
1. NEW MEMBER: Bill Varney is a rehabilitation worker for the visually impaired in Dundee, offering help to deal with access and transport issues. Bill hopes to attend our monthly meetings.
VISITOR: Bryan Hill works for the DWP and his job is to provide disabled people aged 16 - 30 with specialist support to enable them to gain sustainable employment. He would like to liaise with us to help them access all the facilities they need to in the Dundee area.
2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:
The minutes of the meeting held on 7th December 2017 were approved.
3. MATTERS ARISING:
3.1. (Re minute 3.1). Ramps. No further progress has been made with Fintry Community Council. However, Erik suggested that DAG might buy 2 ramps which we would allow others to borrow. The members present agreed that this would be a sensible way forward and Sandy was asked to try for a grant through DVA and consult with Graham Angus, of GA Mobility, to purchase them.
3.2. (Re minute 3.2). Website. Anne visited Craigie High School and discussed possibilities with Rhys Collier and his teachers. They would like to produce a page for our website.
3.3. (Re Minute 6.1), Crossing at Johnstone Avenue. We are pleased to report that Dundee Council are installing a 20mph limit in the Glens area of the city, including Johnston Avenue, as a trial and they will be monitoring the traffic to see its impact. We hope that Mr Paton is pleased with this result.
3.4. Request for dropped kerb by Anne Smart. This has not been completely resolved but it will be suggested that Anne might be able to get the dropped kerb she needs from the Community Infrastructure Fund.
4 OTHER AGENDA ITEMS:
4.1 Treasurer’s Report. Sandy reported that he had received a cheque from St Catharine’s fund as a donation to our group and he updated us on the present balance of our bank account.
4.2 The DAAG Meeting at Discovery Point on 13th December. 5 members of DAG attended. John Wolstencroft gave a most informative talk on how the Housing Services in Dundee were scrutinised to ensure the housing needs of those considered most vulnerable were met. Erik Cramb talked about the work of Dundee Access Group and recalled stories from his earlier life where he overcame prejudice and noted the power of people who worked together to protect the vulnerable. We were provided with a lovely lunch and took the opportunity to network with the others present.
4.3 Dundee Partnership. When Erik attended a meeting of Dundee Employability Service he was invited to a meeting arranged by Dundee & Angus College Access Academy on 8th January. At this meeting a group of men over 45 and either unemployed or with a disability were spoken to in a kindly fashion and offered a chance of a voluntary 4-week course to improve their chances of employment. This was well received and most of them took the opportunity of doing it.
4.4 Disability Equality Scotland (DES). On 15th December DES sent us an invitation to and information about an EGM they were going to hold on 2nd February to appoint 3 new directors. This initially seemed non-controversial. However, on 29th January we received an email from Alex Thorburn and 3 others, who had resigned from the Board of DES in December, detailing their concerns about some actions at DES. Only after further probing by Erik did it become clear that there had been a breakdown in the relationship between the CEO and the Convenor of the Board. With our agreement Erik will write to the new Convenor of the Board expressing our concern about DES’s lack of transparency with their membership when calling this meeting and asking for assurance that all necessary protocols have been followed in the appointment of the new directors.
5 CORRESPONDENCE:
By email
5.1 Alliance weekly bulletins.
5.2 Inclusion Scotland e-bulletins.
5.3 On 6/12/17 from Disability Equality Scotland (DES), previously SDEF, looking for an Access Panel to host a BREXIT Disability Roadshow.
5.4 On 8/12/17 via DES Transport Scotland survey - Transport in Rural Areas.
5.5 On 12/12/17 from TACTRAN sending a copy of their presentations from their Regional Rail Forum which took place on 30th November 2017.
5.6 On 15/12/17 from DES sending a copy of their Disability Equality News and notice of their EGM.
5.7 On 20/11/17 from DES asking us to supply Quarterly returns.
Anne replied. DES requested a copy of the photo of us handing over the cheque to PAMIS and said they would put it in their next Newsletter.
5.8 On 3/1/18 from DES inviting DAG to host an upcoming ALLIANCE event which will be looking at accessibility for the new social security headquarters in Dundee.
5.9 On 4/1/18 from DES inviting us to take part in a pilot training session on access auditing,
5.10 On 15/1/18 from Dorothy Wilson with info that at the start of 2018 Dundee residents will be able to decide on the allocation of £1.2m of the DCC budget through the Community Infrastructure Fund and encouraging DAG members to get involved.
5.11 On 16/1/18 from Arbroath Football Club asking DAG to do an access audit.
Anne replied apologising that DAG didn’t do Access Audits because DisabledGo did them for Dundee and that Arbroath was too far away to be done by DisabledGo.
5.12 On 17/1/18 via DVA info re Launch of Scottish Government Consultation on Tackling Social Isolation and Loneliness.
5.13 On 17/1/18 from Dorothy Wilson re a talk from Richard McIntosh about the Community Innovation Fund.
5.14 On 22/1/17 via DVA with info re a Briefing Sessions about Carers (Scotland) Act, and Dundee Carers Strategy.
5.15 On 23/1/18 from the ALLIANCE with an invitation to an event on 6th Feb about the physical environment of the new Social Security Agency in Dundee.
5.16 On 25/1/18 from Funeral Poverty Support Service who are seeking Trustees for their new funeral advice and brokerage service.
5.17 On 25/1/18 from Inclusion Scotland who are in the process of setting up policy panels to get Deaf and Disabled people involved in the policy making process.
5.18 On 26/1/18 from Anne Smart re requirement of a dropped kerb near her house.
6 A.O.C.B.
6.1 Heather said that Shopmobility had been hearing lots of complaints from those using their mobility scooters about access in the Wellgate Centre, the most frequent complaint being that the lift is too small, and people are having to queue for far too long to access it. Heather has already spoken to the Wellgate Management about it. She was advised that her next step should be to put the complaint in writing to the Wellgate Management.
6.2 Dorothy told us about the Co-Wheels Car Club (website www.co-wheels.org.uk ). They have in Dundee a 'Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle' for hire which could be valuable for family members who wish to take disabled relatives out for the day. Shopmobility noted they would inform their membership of the Co-Wheels 'Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle' and we were all asked to spread the word amongst our networks.
7 DATE OF NEXT MEETING.
The date of the next meeting is on Thursday 1st March 2018 in Thomas Herd House, 10 - 12 Ward Road, Dundee, DD1 1LX.
ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE
c/o Dundee Carers Centre
Seagate House 124 Seagate Dundee DD1 2HB
web: www.dundeeaccessgroup.co.uk
e-mail: dundeeaccessgroup.org@hotmail.co.uk