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Northern Ireland Office

Answer

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) facilities and (b) assistance are available at properties under the control of the Environmental Heritage Service in Northern Ireland for the admission of visitors with mental and physical disabilities. [196915] Angela Smith: Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) manages over 250 sites. These include monuments in state care or guardianship, country parks and nature reserves. At the major sites, there are visitor centres, at which visitors with mobility difficulties have access to reception and exhibition areas, classrooms, lecture theatres, toilets and cafes. Some stretches of the paths at each country park are accessible to wheelchairs. At some of these sites special facilities have been provided. These include a special trail for the visually impaired at Roe Valley Country Park, mobility scooters at Crawfordsburn and Roe Valley Country Parks, and a narrow-gauge railway at Peatlands Park, which can take people with disabilities. A stair-lift takes visitors to the upper floor of Bellaghy Bawn, and one is planned for the keep at Carrickfergus Castle. A new ferry, capable of taking people with mobility difficulties to the monastic site on Devenish Island, is to be in place by Easter 2005. The staff who assist visitors at EHS's most popular sites receive formal training in customer care and disability awareness. Individual tours, tailored to the requirements of visitors with special needs, are provided by educators and tour guides at all major visitor attractions. However, given the nature and location of some of the minor EHS properties, it is not possible to provide access to all sites for people with mobility difficulties. EHS is carrying out a disability audit of its main priorities to identify any improvements which could be made.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

426 c780-1W;426 c785W; 196915

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Access Disability Admissions Cultural heritage Historic buildings Facilities Mental illness Northern Ireland Public buildings Visits Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland)

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk