Deputy Inna Gardiner is calling for better access to historic buildings, such as the States Assembly, saying: ‘We have electricity, running water and modern toilets that were not in listed buildings before. We need to get to that stage with disability access.’
Listed places and buildings ‘can be particularly challenging environments’ for those with disabilities and additional needs, said Deputy Gardiner, with people facing ‘considerable challenges’ as a result of building design.
This was particularly important for buildings with a civic function, she added.
She has lodged an amendment to the Draft Bridging Island Plan, saying greater consideration was needed for ‘the balance of heritage values versus the level of public benefit to any changes or improvement to such buildings’.
The 2017 States of Jersey Disability Strategy for Jersey highlighted that 41% of Islanders with disabilities experienced difficulty travelling around Jersey, and 39% experienced difficulty moving around other places, which Deputy Gardiner cited in her amendment report.
The strategy stated that almost 14,000 people in Jersey were disabled, and that this was likely to increase with an ageing population.
Deputy Gardiner questioned what message was being sent out to these Islanders when they had difficulty accessing a democratic building that represented them.
Deputy Gardiner cited her own experience of having a leg in plaster and the difficulties she faced getting around the States Building.
And she added that there were also unseen disabilities that could hinder someone’s experience of the building.
Her report stated: ‘This amendment calls for a stronger position on enabling accessibility for all Islanders; for example, where services or civic participation takes place in listed buildings, it needs to be recognised that a building or the equipment used within the building may be a barrier to participation.
‘It should also be noted that such environmental barriers are not limited to accessibility issues, but can also be a barrier to good governance and decision-making processes.
‘There needs to be an obligation to look for alternative locations to provide existing services, or to ensure that reasonable adjustments can be made.’
She said her amendment was an opportunity to provide planners with ‘clear guidance’.
Marcus Binney, of Save Jersey’s Heritage, said: ‘Lots of historic buildings face this challenge all over the world.’
He said that it was a question ‘of it being done well and sensitively’ and giving ‘careful thought’ to changes, and that ‘it should be possible with care and thought’ to address the issue.
Deputy Gardiner has also lodged three other amendments on disability inclusion to the Draft Bridging Island Plan, including for active travel and homes for independent living.
She has also brought an amendment to insert policy clauses that recognise the needs of those with disabilities and additional needs.
She said that officers working on the plan had been ‘very responsive’ when she raised concerns with them.
