Disability West Lothian Access Committee

West Lothian Council - Community Streets dropped kerbs and handrails

• West Lothian Council Improvements Phase 1 and 2
• Referral to committee for a number of requests, comments and recommendations given.
• Aim to improve access for local community, to join up drop kerbs to pavements, install handrails on stair and to paths where practical to do so.

Planning and Building Control - New Builds, and Refurbishments

• Whitehill Service Centre Refurbishment – Review showers, car parking.
• Armadale Community Centre - Nursery Extension review resting place and entry system
• Blackburn Partnership Centre Development. Loops, signage, toilets
• West Lothian Social Housing – wheelchair accessible housing, issues with accessible bathroom design.

Scottish Building Standards – looking at difficulty of minimum standards and practical use by disabled people.

Local Issues

• Arrochar House Accessibility – issues with parking, doors and location of entrance
• Party at the Palace accessibility – Update on access issues from 2016 event
• Taxi Variation Application – West Lothian Council requested comments for committee on a variation application they received. Members commented against granting variation, Licensing denied currently going through appeal process, update appeal withdrawn.
• Livingston Retail Park new development – checking access features
• Parking Issues, Blue Badge Abuse
• Train Cancellations and access issues
• Local Allotments Access
• Local Bowling Club Access
• 'Walk and Talk' Audits - HMP Addiewell and Linlithgow Football Club

West Lothian Access Fund Application and recommendation

Whitburn Junior Football Club – Fund granted. Improvements made new stand will now has increased access features for spectators who are ambulant disabled or wheelchair users.

Events, Consultations and Forums

• Edinburgh Airport Flight Path consolation
• West Lothian Equality Outcome review and consultation – 2017 – 2020 plan, plan English use increased, increased relevance to local people.
• Airport Concierge Service – New disabled passenger support
• SesTran Equalities and Access to healthcare forum – Thistle Card App
• SATA – Accessible Transport Framework
• SDEF Housing for Disabled People consultation - input
• Hate Crime Events
• Draft British Sign Language National Plan comments
• Scotrail Accessable Awareness Day
• Accessible Holiday Chalet opening Dunbar

Who have we been engaging with?

• West Lothian Council – Equalities Advisor Human Resources, Occupational Therapy, Housing, Building Control, Planning, Licencing
• Lothian NHS
• Local Councillors, MSP and MP's
• Local Organisation and Businesses
• Scottish Disability Equality Forum
• SATA
• SESTran
• Inclusion Scotland

What are West Lothian plans for the next three months?

• Continued involvement in West Lothian Council Project Developments
• Access Audits
• West Lothian Access Fund site visits and application review
• Input into local issues.
• Local Events attend and local involvement
• Attendance at affordable National events