O’Loan supports Disability Action in getting disabled people involved in the election

Ballymena SDLP councillor Declan O’Loan represented the SDLP at an event organised by Disability Action at the Tullyglass Hotel last week. It is part of their “Count me in” project, designed to increase the involvement of disabled people in democracy.

Councillor O’Loan said, “I strongly support the aims of the project. There are real obstacles to participation for disabled people. Think how difficult it is to get into a polling station for those with mobility problems. Think of the problems for those with sight or hearing problems.

I have attended a number of disability events recently. They have brought home to me the huge difficulties faced by disabled people in taking part in many aspects of life. Participation in democracy is much wider than just the issue of managing to vote, and there are real difficulties in every aspect of life for the one-in-six who have a disability.

There is understandable frustration at the failure of many premises to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

The health service often lets people down too. I have become aware of the great need for lip-reading classes for those with hearing impairment. There is not adequate provision of these. Yet this should be a fundamental right for the hearing-impaired. I intend to pursue this issue if elected to the Assembly.”