Nearly a million pounds has been spent on making Amber Valley Borough Council’s land and buildings more accessible to people with disabilities
Work has been completed at fifty sites across the borough in order to meet the standards set out in the Disability Discrimination Act.
Many buildings now have ramps for people with mobility problems and signs featuring raised lettering or braille for people with visual impairments.
In order to improve access for wheelchair users, cubicles have been enlarged within many public toilets and the counters have been lowered at the town centre offices in Alfreton and Heanor.
Sites that have been improved include Charles Hill Recreation Complex in Loscoe, Alfreton Bus Station, Heanor Welfare Centre, Belper River Gardens and the Tourist Information Centre in Ripley. Public toilets that have been improved include the ones at Heage, South Wingfield, Ambergate and Crossley Park in Ripley.
Amber Valley Mayor Norman Bull said: “We want to make sure that everyone in the borough enjoys easy access to Council services.
“The completion of the improvement project is very timely because the Disability Equality Duty (DED) for public organisations came into force in December. The DED sets out what public bodies must do to promote equality of opportunity.”
Anyone with a disability who wishes to use the Council’s accessible toilets should visit one of its four town centre offices to claim one of the free keys provided by the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR). In order to claim a key, it is necessary to provide one of the following:
- a blue disabled person’s parking badge
- a disability living allowance letter
- an attendance allowance letter
The Council’s town centre offices are based in Alfreton, Belper, Heanor and Ripley.
Note to Editors
The Council’s town centre offices are based at :
- Alfreton House, High Street, Alfreton
- Heanor Town Hall, Market Place, Heanor
- Ripley Town Hall, Market Place, Ripley
The town centre offices are open Monday to Friday between 9am and 4.30pm.
