Make Way’ Day, Friday 24th September, is a national campaign coordinated by the Disability Federation of Ireland.
Make Way Day 2021
Highlighting issues facing people with disabilities - Make Way Day 2021
Stephen Reynolds, Traffic Warden, Maria Mulligan, CEO Sligo Centre for Independent Living, Darragh Kelly, Mayor Councillor Arthur Gibbons, Christopher Cogan, Mairead Gonley, Brendan MacHugh.
Back Row: Gda Tonay Lavin, Councillor Declan Bree, Chair of Sligo County Council’s Disability Consultative Committee, Thomas Walsh, Gda Michael Keane
Its purpose is to offer support and solidarity to people with disabilities, especially at this time when people are facing a range of challenges during the Covid pandemic.
The initiative is supported and promoted by all the Local Authorities in the country, and is a community-wide effort to ensure people with disabilities are given optimum choice, control and respect of their daily lives.
According to Mayor Councillor Arthur Gibbons
‘Public representatives have a responsibility to highlight and promote these issues and to work to deliver meaningful change in our society. There are a range of issues, including equal access to Information services, products and programmes’
The National Disability Inclusion Strategy was published in 2017 to promote greater inclusion by people with disabilities in Irish society. One of the key objectives of the strategy is to give legal effect to the principle that mainstream public services should serve people with disabilities alongside other citizens.
Chair of Sligo County Council’s Disability Consultative Committee Councillor Declan Bree highlighted the importance of MakeWay Day at a recent meeting of Sligo County Council. Councillor Bree said
‘The Council is fully committed to these objectives through our ‘Disability, Inclusion and Access’ Strategy. We believe issues surrounding access and inclusion are among the most important to be addressed by our Council, and we will continue to work with national and local agencies to deliver on agreed proposals.’