MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 4th APRIL 2019
IN THOMAS HERD HOUSE, WARD ROAD, DUNDEE.
PRESENT: Carole Craig, Erik Cramb, Anne Farrow, Lillian
Malcolm, Dorothy Wilson, Jan Goodall, Lynda Sawers, Michael Leeland, Daisy Faild.
APOLOGIES:
Bill Varney, Sandy Cameron, Denise Cameron,
Alison Rae, Carol Anderson, Denis Bethell, Heather Flood, John Mitchell, Andrew
Peel.
1. INVITED VISITOR: Unfortunately, Chris Elder was unable to attend but he
did send the following information about the training given to taxi drivers for
dealing with those with disabilities.
Training
is now to SQA level 2 certificate and is compulsory. You cannot get a badge
without completing the course.
It is
delivered by UNITE in conjunction with Dundee and Angus College.
Unless a
driver has a disability that qualifies him/her for exemption drivers MUST
assist passengers with a disability. If a driver claims an exemption you should
take their badge number and check their exemption. If they do not have an exemption,
then you should report them immediately.
As we
still have questions we would like to ask, we will invite Chris to come to
another meeting.
2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING:
The minutes of the meeting held on 7th March 2019 were approved.
3.
MATTERS ARISING:
3.1.
(Re minute 3.2). Northern Links’ project. Caley McDowall replied ‘In terms of a
reduction in on-street parking, the location where this is relevant is the
proposal to relocate the disabled bays on St Andrew’s Street – views on this
proposal would be welcome (including if there are alternative suitable
locations).
On all the other
corridors, parking provision would be retained, albeit provided in a slightly
different location.’
3.2.
(Re Minute 3.3). Coffee & Co. Erik
will visit.
3.3.
(Re minute 6.2). Problems
encountered by Jan Bethany at D C Thomson’s and Marks and Spencer’s.
Bill Varney visited both locations to discuss the problems. M&S have
slightly adjusted their lights at the escalators. D C Thomson will get back to
Bill re locating a buzzer for disabled access to their building in Euclid Crescent.
4 OTHER AGENDA ITEMS:
4.1 Dundee Council and Caley McDowall have requested feedback from Dundee Access Group re ‘Walking and Cycling in Broughty Ferry (the Broughty Ferry Active Travel Improvements)’. We agreed that we should try to find someone to be involved in the project. After the meeting, John Mitchell volunteered to do it.
5
CORRESPONDENCE:
By email
5.1
The ALLIANCE Weekly Bulletins.
5.2
Inclusion Scotland E-Bulletins.
5.3
On 7/3/19 from Anne sending a
reminder to complete Dundee Council’s questionnaire about polling places.
5.4
On 8/3/19 from CILPK sending info
re Disabled Access Day in Perth.
5.5
On 8/3/19 info re National
Diversity Awards.
5.6
On 8/3/ 19 from Caroline Kennedy saying
the poverty and inequality commission are having a public event on the 20th of
June 2019 in Glasgow.
5.7
On 22/3/19 from Anne sending info
re beach wheelchairs in St Andrews.
5.8
On 12/3/19 info re HMS Unicorn’s
Virtual Tour on Disabled Access Day.
5.9
On 13/3/19 from DES re their
‘Parley at the Parly’ event on 14th March.
5.10
On 14/3/19 from Dundee
Council re Dundee Fairness Commission looking for commissioners.
5.11
On 15/3/19 from Dundee Council
with info re
·
the workshop Abertay
University are holding to gather views on some of the challenges the elderly
face with respect to cyber-crime and
·
the Aging Well Consultation event
to discuss service provision related to early intervention in the
community, support to keep you living well at home in hospital and in care home
care.
5.12
On 17/3/19 from Abilitynet, an
organisation that provides free IT Support to help older people and people with
disabilities to use technology to achieve their goals.
5.13
On 17/3/19 from DVA forwarding a
letter from Dundee Pensioners’ Forum re increase in Sheltered housing charges.
5.14
On 20/3/19 from DES re the Sensory
and Equality Awards 2019.
5.15
On 21/3/19 from Dundee Council
asking for comments on their proposals for how the coastal path can be improved
from the Grassy Beach to the Castle stretch alongside the flood defence works and
from the Castle to Balmossie Rail Station/ Dighty Burn.
5.16
On 26/3/19 from DES sending poll
re Primary Care.
6 A.O.B.
6.1
Erik said that Dundee Council were
keen to get a person with a disability to be a commissioner for Dundee Fairness
Commission.
6.2
Anne said that AccessAble now have a
free app for mobile phones.
6.3
Michael said that there
still was no Access Guide to Dundee Station despite Dundee Council via Accessible
intending to provide one. He also said that last time he visited the station
the lift was out of order and there was no info telling users what to do. Anne
will write to Scotrail’s Access & Inclusion Manager about it.
6.4
Lynda raised the problem of
the difficulty of getting parked on Perth Road and said that recently when she
had parked on yellow lines on a street nearby a parking warden told her she
couldn’t park there. Carol had also had a problem with parking on yellow lines
in that area. Anne will write
to Steve Emmonds, Parking
Leader, Dundee City Council, about it.
6.5
Carole asked Lillian about
the art course she had recently attended and was told that it was run by
Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust and the courses they ran were for people with
long term conditions. (https://www.nhstayside.scot.nhs.uk/OurServicesA-Z/TaysideHealthcareArtsTrust/index.htm).
6.6
Carole said that the AGM of
Dundee Access Group would be immediately before our June meeting and we agreed
that we would not have meetings in July or August this year.
7 DATE OF NEXT MEETING.
The next
meeting is on Thursday 2nd May 2019 at 12.45 in Thomas Herd House, 10 -
12 Ward Road, Dundee, DD1 1LX.
web: www.dundeeaccessgroup.co.uk email: dundeeaccessgroup.org@hotmail.co.uk