Mayor of Narberth, Clr. Mrs. Sue Rees, and fellow councillors, Henry Langen and Colin Williams, who are members of the working group set up to co-ordinate the Access Award competition, get ready to deliver entry forms to all the businesses and public places in the the town.
Pic. Ceris Hewlings
A competition aimed at promoting access for all is being launched in Narberth.
The Access Award competition aims to increase awareness of the difficulties of access for disabled people and generally seeks improvement at all public places.
Organised by the Pembrokeshire Access Group, a registered charity, which was set up to promote improvements in access for people with disabilities, the competition, which has already been successful in several towns in Pembrokeshire, is open to all shops, banks, building societies, churches, council chambers and public places, to see who has got the best access arrangements for all residents and visitors to the town.
The competition also serves to alert business people to any improvements they could make to their premises to make them more user friendly for people in wheelchairs, those who use sticks or crutches, or those with hearing or vision impairments.
A working group has been formed and team of volunteers will be distributing entry forms to the businesses and to other public buildings in Narberth and district during the next fortnight in a bid to encourage them to take part.
"Every owner or tenant of a building to which the public is admitted is invited to enter," said chairman of the Pembrokeshire Access Group, Mr. Malcolm Pratt MBE.
"There is no charge and no obligation is involved. The competition will be judged by Access Group members who are themselves disabled and to ensure impartiality they will be selected from outside the Narberth area."
An award will be made to the place considered to be providing the best access arrangements for disabled people and the competition will end with a prize-giving evening.
"The year after next, the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act comes into full operation. To paraphrase Dr. Johnson, this should concentrate the mind wonderfully as it will be illegal to discriminate on the grounds of disability. We hope that this competition will help Narberth property owners come to terms with the act," said Mr. Pratt.
Added Access Group member, Clr. Henry Langen, who is one of the members of the Narberth working group: "This competition aims to promote access for all and we hope as many businesses and public buildings as possible will take part.
"This competition is not just designed to see who has the best access to their shop for people in wheelchairs, but also who has got the best facilities to make life easier for those with visual and hearing impairments.
"It is not just about praising businesses and public places with ramps and lifts, but to highlight the services offered by any premises which offers a service to the public.
"Often it is the staff at the particular place that makes all the difference. For example, somewhere may have steps leading up to the entrance which make it impossible for some people with a disability to get in, but the staff are only too happy to take orders over the telephone or come to the door and serve the person who is outside. It really is about how courteous and helpful the staff are that matters.
"The judges never criticise a premises for its access, but are only too happy to offer advice on how any improvements can be made, and we want this competition to raise awareness of how places will be affected once the new act comes into force."