Cashel Gold Star Town

For people with disabilities Strzyzow - Poland Presentation June 2010

Anne Bradshaw – HSE-SE, Community Development Worker

Kathleen Blake – Cashel Goldstar

2010 is European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

EU Year for combating poverty and social exclusion is based on 4 key principles:

All people have a right to live in dignity and participate in society

Public and private sector share responsibility to combat poverty and social exclusion

Eradicate poverty for a more cohesive society All levels of society must commit to achieve this goal

Gold Star Project – how does it respond to access issues?

The entire Gold Star project in Cashel is built around focusing on the person at the centre of services and explores how we can improve the environment to ensure full and meaningful participation of people with disabilities in communities.

The programme promotes the social model of disability while recognising the importance of the medical model.

Operates from a community development approach, -combining task and process: Task to promote positive inclusive changes for people with disabilities (pwd) and process in applying principles of participation & collective decision making

Promoting The Social Model

In the last 30 years, disabled people have campaigned for and won a human rights-based approach to disability.

The Social Model views disability as a consequence of environmental, social and attitudinal barriers that prevent pwd from maximum participation in society, _ Removal of attitudinal, physical and institutional barriers will improve the lives of pwd, promoting equality/inclusion.

Cashel Gold Star Initiative Mission Statement

Cashel Gold Star Task Group will work to improve awareness and integration of people with disabilities and to assist the community in

ensuring all premises and activities are accessible and welcoming to all.

Underpinning Features:

Improvement to Services delivered to the Citizen and Business customers, including through engagement with customers

Innovation and creativity, through flexibility, teamworking, partnership

Increased effectiveness and efficiency, including better use of resources and sharing of services

Irish Legislative Background

The Disability Act 2005 in Ireland is part of a framework of Government legislative measures which support social inclusion. Other essential elements in the Government legislative framework are:

Employment Equality Act 1998, Equal Status Act 2000, Equality Act 2004, Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act 2004 and Comhairle (Amendment Bill 2004

All are backdrops to realising the potential benefits of access in terms of self dignity and independence for those with disabilities in mainstream Irish society

Disability & the CommunityOpen Public Meeting in Cashel

October 12th 2006 – open meeting to discuss Disability & the Community

Broken into 4 key areas - Access -Awareness, - Transport - Social Participation

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Access Awareness Transport Soc Part

Main Findings in the Report

- Physical access to banks, post office, police station, community facilities, footpaths too high, Toilets, child changing facilities, refurbishment of bus stop, Dentist services…etc.

How did we respond? Key Features and achievements to date

A multi-agency task group leads the project and the commercial mix of reps include: HSE, Cashel Town Council and Sth Tipp CoCo, Tipp Instit, Chamber of Commerce, Tourism and Heritage Trust, South Tipp VEC, Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) TRYS (Youth Service), NCBI, Deafhear, IWA, Police, FRC’s Schools, Private business and service providers

Key Features

Gold Star is not supported by a statutory budgetary commitment, apart from the HSE funding the CDW

All initiatives and achievements have been funded and supported by individual agencies and private business, who recognise the benefits of social inclusion for all members of community.

To date we have achieved heightened disability awareness at minimum cost through partnership approach.

Proposals for change: Pedestrian Crossing – suggestions from visually impaired

Future Developments

Audible Crossing necessary – ideal landmark when working effectively

Multi-agency success approach

Partnership approach – Community Development Young people in schools designed logo Harness of cross generational skills – Sensory Garden Disability Awareness events and initiatives GSDAT Training Course - partnership Training for Trainers for local delivery UCC – Diploma in Disability Studies – partnership Gold Star Guidelines Booklet published On-going monitoring and evaluating processes being established. Improvement to Services delivered to the Citizen and business

customers Winners of South Tipperary Entrepreneurial Awards 2008

Future Developments:

Applications for Gold Star Status – 1st audit completed in July 2010 with Alza and Cordis

Ongoing partnership with Cashel Town Council Funding application in by South Tipp Community and Voluntary Forum to

develop GSDAT DVD programme –UCC Diploma Course Walking Tour of Cashel – accessibility issues to be included. Launch of www.cashelgoldstar.ie website in association with Launch of

Star Award Scheme Self-sustaining evaluating and monitoring group Eu Rural Charter – Gold Star Theme Poland – Hosting 2011 Minister John Moloney, TD – National Roll out Local South Tipperary roll out – Tipperary Town and Carrick-on-Suir

Background to today’s presentation

PLF met Min JM at SEfor Conference in 2009 – Brief discussion 10 minutes) with min and CEO of NDA

AB met Min JM at DFI Conf in 2009 – Brief dis Min ivited PHF and AB to meet to discuss access

issues and potential synergy bt 2 project Brief pres by both to Min – resulting in todays pres The following pres intros 1. concept for design for the

future 2. what has been done, 3. where do we go from here.

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