Census 2016 recorded 643,131 Irish people, or 13.5% of the Irish population, as having a disability. In considering how disability is understood within the Irish context, guidance is provided by The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities , also called the CRPD, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2006 and ratified by the Irish Government in March 2018. The CRPD considers that “disability is an evolving concept” and that “disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”. The CRPD provides the framework to promote, protect and ensure the rights of all people with disabilities.
Article 30 of the CRPD focuses on the rights of people with a disability to participate in cultural, recreational and sporting activities. Article 30 (5) of the CRPD describes how Governments and Service Providers (The Parties) should take appropriate measures to enable persons with disabilities to participate on an equal basis with others in recreational, leisure and sporting activities by encouraging and promoting participation, encouraging the provision of appropriate instruction, training and resources, as well as ensuring access to venues, activities and services. Additionally the CRPD defines how ‘reasonable accommodations and modifications’ will need to be considered to ensure that people with disabilities exercise their human rights on an equal basis with others.
The significant number of people with a disability that are living in Ireland and Ireland’s commitment to the equality agenda of the CRPD, creates an urgency to review the outdoor environment and to strategically plan how adaptations can be incorporated into nature’s design to accommodate people with disabilities and their right to exercise, socialise and enjoy the many benefits that being in the outdoors has to offer. These rights are general for everyone, but too often people with disabilities are excluded from participating in activities in the outdoor environment because of the lack of accessible amenities or the absence of disability awareness amongst service providers.
Ireland is renowned for its natural beauty, incredible landscapes, and breathtaking coastlines. Given the nature and locations of the Irish landscape, which is often rugged and remote, accessing the great outdoors and engaging in outdoor pursuits can present many challenges, particularly for people who may have a range of disabilities.
Irish Wheelchair Association’s Sports Department in conjunction with Sport Ireland developed the concept of designing and delivering outdoor access guidelines that could be used by various organisations, that provide and manage facilities within the Great Outdoors guide. The Guidelines are funded by the Dormant Accounts funding stream 2017.
The Great Outdoors – A guide for accessibility aims to provide organisations and land managers with relevant guidance and information relating to accessible design, including, in some instances, the provision of on-site supports that can be provided in order to make their specific environments more available and accessible for people with a disability. The guide can also act as a support for future service planning and in many instances can combine with an annual service plan on improving accessibility within the outdoor environment. By following these guidelines it is anticipated that there will be a significant increase in the opportunities for people with disabilities who wish to become involved and active in outdoor locations and activities. It is important to consider the needs and preferences of people who have a disability and consultation is required where change is being proposed.
Following extensive consultation and research with a population of people who have a disability and their representative organisations, the guidelines as set out in this document apply to Trails including Greenways and Public Parks, Beaches and Waterways. Each of these three locations is dealt with in individual sections in this guide and can be identified by the name of the location.
It is not intended that this guide offers a complete or in-depth specification that will be suitable for every situation. In some instances, designs may need to be adapted to suit a particular set of circumstances or to solve a specific access problem. It is therefore recommended that consultation and advice is sought from people who have a disability and from experienced and skilled contractors as to the suitability of a particular design and to seek agreement on any modifications that may be required.
Providing access for people who have a disability is generally recognised as requiring a Universal Design approach. Universal Design, as defined by the Irish Disability Act 2005 , is “an inclusive approach to design and construction aimed at making the built environment and its facilities accessible and usable for everyone.”
Universal Design focuses on 7 Principles that guide the design of environments, products and communications.
The seven design principles of a Universal Design approach are:
- Equitable Use
- Flexibility in Use
- Simple and Intuitive Use
- Perceptible Information
- Tolerance for Error
- Low Physical Effort
- Size and Space for Approach and Use.
These seven principles “may be applied to evaluate existing designs, guide the design process and educate both designers and consumers about the characteristics of more usable products and environments”. Under the Irish Disability Act 2005 the National Disability Authority, Centre of Excellence in Universal Design, holds the Irish brief for Universal Design.
These guidelines are underpinned by a Universal Design approach. In some instances, a Universal Design approach may require that a specific facility be planned to particularly meet the requirements of people who have a disability and thereby be generally accessible to everyone e.g. fishing stands, access to boating/canoe activities. This guide aims to support the development of accessible design solutions that are more inclusive to everyone. Designers are encouraged to push the boundaries of their design process as far as possible without compromising the integrity or quality of the environment. If more than one option is available for a design feature then the recommendation is always to choose the more inclusive/accessible one.
Within this guide, a Universal Design approach is typically understood as addressing specific access considerations within the named environments under a number of headings including;
- Physical access to any designed and built environment including within natural outdoor locations. Considerations include access to entrance points, car parks, on-site transport shuttles, adventure centre activities, accessible WC’s, access to tracks and trails and to facilities that connect environments and activities.
- Access to facilities and activities provided, including day-to-day location and equipment management and maintenance.
- Access to information including information displayed in both hard and soft copy text, on display boards, on waymarking/wayfinding signage and including face-to-face and remotely spoken communications.
- Access to any supports required to participate in an on-site activity.
- Disability Awareness whereby staff have the opportunity to regularly upskill in order to improve their awareness of practical ways to accommodate and promote the participation of people with a disability.
- Consultation with the end user/s and their representative groups.
There is significant legislation and public policy relevant to access and Universal Design in Ireland. Key legislative and policy areas include Human Rights and Equality, Disability Rights, Social Inclusion, and Sustainable Development. These acts, policies and resultant strategies require that service providers accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. The following legislation is notable in promoting and supporting the development of accessible environments:
The Irish Disability Act 2005 is a positive action measure designed to advance and underpin the participation of people with disabilities in everyday life. The Act establishes a statutory basis for providing access to mainstream public services and details actions to support the provision of improved access to public buildings, services and information and including the establishment of a Centre for Excellence in Universal Design in the National Disability Authority.
Under The Planning and Development Act 2000 each Local Authority has a responsibility to determine policy in its own area. Each Authority creates its own ‘Local Authority Development Plan’, the plan, in turn, provides the blueprint for planning and developing the local area, including local natural and outdoor environments.
The Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004 aims to promote equality by forbidding discrimination. These Acts refer to various forms of discrimination on 9 named grounds, including discrimination on the basis of a person having a disability. Under the Act, anyone providing services to the public (including recreational services) must “do all that is reasonable to accommodate” the needs of a person with a disability. Accommodating the needs of people with a disability involves providing an acceptable standard of facilities in circumstances where, without these, it would be impossible or difficult to avail of the service provided.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides the framework to promote, protect and ensure the rights of all people with disabilities and promotes equal rights in all areas of life. The Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006 in an effort to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy the same human rights as everyone else. The Convention outlines no new rights, instead it brings together in one document all of the existing rights outlined in other conventions and international human rights treaties. Ireland signed up to the UNCRPD in March 2007. On the 7th March 2018, prior to these Guidelines going to print, the motion to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was passed in Dail Eireann.
National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 this Strategy takes a Whole-of-Government approach to improving the lives of people with disabilities, both in a practical sense and also in creating the best possible opportunities for people with disabilities to fulfil their potential.
Building Regulations, Part M Access and Use (2010) and Part B Fire Safety (2006) with accompanying Technical Guidance Documents apply to the built environment and as such are applicable within the Great Outdoors guide to visitor centres including on-site parking provided at the visitor centre and routes leading to and around the centre. The Building Regulations set out the minimum design features required in making provision for access to and egress from a building. When building works are being planned a Disability Access Certificate (DAC) is required to show compliance with Part M Access and Use (2010).
Health and Welfare at Work Acts 2005 & 2010 and Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Regulations (General Application) 2007 contain provisions that apply to almost all workplaces. Included are regulations dealing with the physical environment at the place of work, welfare facilities and the suitability of the workplace. Regulations requiring that employers consider specific risk groups when assessing certain tasks are also included.
Sport Ireland Policy on Participation in Sport by People with Disabilities 2017 commits to ensuring that persons with disabilities have access to sporting, recreational, leisure and tourism venues and activities.
This section of the guide acknowledges and references the overview of literature that has been used to support and develop this document, specifically focusing on improved accessibility for people with disabilities when accessing the great outdoors. The Irish Wheelchair Association Best Practice Access Guidelines 3, 2014 informs the guidance provided in relation to creating access to and within the built environment and to some extent this same guidance transfers into the natural and outdoor environments.
Much of the research literature referenced in relation to outdoor environments draws on the barriers experienced by people with disabilities when accessing Trails, Greenways, Public Parks, Beaches and Waterways. The guidelines highlight specific and practical accommodations that need to be provided to improve accessibility within these outdoor environments.
The research and policy documents, as well as guidelines that have been reviewed, emphasise the importance of reasonable accommodation and the promotion of the dignity and rights of people with disabilities to participate in activities within the great outdoors.
A full list of referenced documents and websites is listed in Appendix 4. Notable references used include:
- BT Countryside for All: Standards and Guidelines: A Good Practice Guide to Disabled People’s Access in the Countryside by Fieldfare Trust, UK (1997).
- Access to the Forest for Disabled People Manual produced by The National Board of Forestry, Sweden (2005)
- Irish Wheelchair Association Best Practice Access Guidelines 3, 2014.
- Outdoor Access Design Guide: Paths for all & Scottish Natural Heritage (2016).
As previously stated, the Section headings for these guidelines, which in many ways mirror the findings from the literature review, have been largely identified following research and consultation with people who have a disability and their representative organisations. The section headings are as follows:
Section 2: Training, Consultation and Collaboration
Section 3: Information and Communication within and relevant to the Great
Outdoors
Section 4: Trails/Greenways and Public Parks
Section 5: Beaches
Section 6: Waterways
Section 7: The Built Environment including: Parking, Entrance points, Reception areas,
Fixtures & Fittings and Toilet Facilities
Appendices: Appendices 1 – 5
Within each section, taking a Universal Design approach, access is addressed under the headings of physical access; access to facilities & activities; access to information & communication; access to any supports required; availability of disability awareness training and consultation with the end user group/s.
In 2017, a National Online Research Consultation was carried out by IWA-Sport, it was completed by 170 participants in order to obtain the information that is set out in Tables 1, 2 and 3. These tables demonstrate the opinions and outdoor activity preferences of people with a range of disabilities who participated in the online consultation which was circulated throughout 30 disability groups and organisations. The participants that responded to the online research consultation included 100 people with a disability, 40 family members of people with disabilities, and 30 representatives from disability organisations.
A total number of 27 participants attended a workshop that IWA-Sport conducted with representatives from disability groups and from various organisations that provide and manage facilities within the Great Outdoors. The purpose of the workshop was to raise awareness of access issues among stakeholders while also allowing stakeholders to define their need for support and to identify the areas/locations they would like to see included in these guidelines.
The results of the online research and the workshop consultation informed the development of the content as set out within this guide.
The following tables highlight the findings which were identified through the national online survey consultation with people who have a disability and their representative organisations, carried out by
IWA-Sport:
IWA-Sport and Sport Ireland would like to thank everyone who has given their time to provide advice and support to this project.
We particularly want to thank all those who participated in the online consultation, the workshop and those who participated throughout the development of the guide.
Both IWA-Sport and Sport Ireland hope that this document will be a valuable reference tool for future planning and development surrounding access to the great outdoor environment.
