The 4th edition of Irish Wheelchair Association’s ‘Best Practice Access Guidelines: Designing Accessible Environments’ is available below and coincides with our 60th anniversary.

Irish Wheelchair Association was founded sixty years ago by eight people who were wheelchair users. One of the single biggest issues facing people with physical disabilities has always been access to buildings and infrastructure.

The association consulted over 1,500 of its members, experts and organisations across Ireland in 2019 and 2020 to inform the Best Practice Access Guidelines publication.

Irish Wheelchair Association found that:

  • 77% of people with physical disabilities have poor or no access to public spaces and amenities because of issues with pavements, parking, pedestrian crossings and more. 
  • 66% of people reported difficulty accessing public buildings, which include healthcare, retail and leisure facilities.
  • 68% of people experience inadequate toilets, lifts, emergency exits and parking machines in public spaces.
  • 63% said that they often faced poor or no accessible public parking at public buildings.
  • 73% said they often faced steps to the main entrance of public buildings.

Our Access Guidelines set the standard for accessibility in Ireland across construction, housing, public amenities, retail, tourism, hospitality and sport.  We are urging those involved in planning, building and design to adopt them so that all people with disabilities can live the life they choose.

Download Best Practice Access Guidelines

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