DUNDEE
ACCESS GROUP
MINUTES
OF THE MEETING HELD ON 13TH MARCH 2018 IN THOMAS HERD HOUSE, WARD ROAD, DUNDEE.
PRESENT: Erik Cramb, Anne Farrow,
Lillian Malcolm, Dorothy Wilson, Sandy Cameron, Denise Cameron, Jan Goodall,
Carole Craig, Bill Varney.
APOLOGIES: Denis Bethell, Heather Flood.
1.
INVITED
GUEST: Chris Elder, taxi driver
representative for Unite, attended our meeting to talk about Dundee City
Council’s decision to stop funding the taxicard scheme, which discounted taxi
travel for disabled people. Instead, from
the beginning of April, the council plans to invest £50,000 of the savings made
from the decision into a new members-only minibus scheme, which will transport
people Monday to Friday, 9.00 to 5.00 at a charge discounted by £1. Meanwhile,
a new service, EasyOn, has announced that they will take over the taxicard scheme
with their minibuses, and they will give taxicard scheme card holders £1 off
journeys on their minibuses which cost a flat rate of £5. It was agreed that the taxicard scheme did
need updating but there was disquiet about the new Council alternative. Only
time will tell how well disabled people in Dundee are being served. Erik said that he would ask the Council and
EasyOn to each bring a minibus to our next meeting so that we can see how
disabled accessible they are.
2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:
The minutes of the meeting held
on 1st February 2018 were approved.
3.
MATTERS
ARISING:
3.1.
(Re minute
3.1). Sandy has bought 2 ramps which are
being kept at Shopmobility and can be borrowed from us. Carole will produce a
form to be signed by the borrower acknowledging that Dundee Access Group will
have no responsibility for any problems arising after they have been borrowed.
Erik will contact the Chamber of Commerce advising them that we now have ramps
that can be borrowed, Sandy will get in touch with Shopmobility to get them to
advertise their availability, and Anne will put it on our website and contact
Euan’s Guide and contact the Courier.
3.2.
(Re
minute 3.2). Website. Our website has been updated. We have not heard from
Craigie High School.
3.3.
(Re
Minute 3.4), Fleming Gardens North. There has been no more word from Anne
Smart.
3.4.
(Re
Minute 4.4). DES. Erik had a reply to his letter. We discussed the situation
and Erik will reply to Ms Bamford.
3.5.
(Re
Minute 6.1). – Wellgate. Carole had a phone call from another disgruntled
user. Erik met Geoff Findlay, Workplace
Chaplaincy Scotland, who was interested in hearing about the problems people
were experiencing in the Wellgate Centre and said that he would raise it at the
next meeting he attended with the Wellgate management.
4 OTHER AGENDA ITEMS:
4.1 Treasurer’s Report. Sandy had nothing new to report.
5
CORRESPONDENCE:
By email
5.1
ALLIANCE weekly bulletin.
5.2
Inclusion Scotland e-bulletin.
5.3
Inclusion Matters Newsletter.
5.4
On 1/2/18 from Scott Mands sending information on consultation event on GP
Contracts on the 27th of February.
5.5
On 2/2/18 from Charmaine Wanless sending info re
Neatebox Presentation on 20th
February about their free apps.
5.6
On 7/2/18 from Disability Equality Scotland
(DES) re ‘Streets for Everyone’: half-day Workshops.
5.7
On 9/2/18 from Morven Brooks, DES, Extraordinary General Meeting Minutes and
Members Survey.
5.8
On 9/2/18 from the ALLIANCE with invitation to their Annual Conference and
AGM in June.
5.9
On 12/2/18 from DES with invitation to a Self-Directed Support Event in Edinburgh.
5.10
On 13/2/18 via DVA an invitation to Dundee's 2018 SmartCare Convention on 21st
March.
5.11
On
15/2/18 from Calum Robertson, Dundee Council, re their refusal of Anne Smart’s
request for a dropped kerb as it is Dundee Development's approach to
provide dropped kerbs as part of a city wider strategy rather than
the provision of individual single dropped kerbs outside specific homes, to
achieve maximum benefit for all.
5.12
On 15/2/18 from Euan’s Guide with a link to
get their Access Guide to Dundee when it is launched in March.
This has now been
launched.
5.13
On
19/2/18 from Michael Leeland asking if he could attend our meetings.
Anne was asked to
invite Michael to our next meeting to tell us about his company.
6 A.O.C.B.
6.1
Carole said that
she had received a phone call from the Giddy Grill at the City Quay asking her
to visit to assess their premises. She visited with Hannah and gave them
advice. She found the Grill accessible.
7 DATE
OF NEXT MEETING.
The date of the next meeting is on Thursday 5th
April 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