The Idea
These innovators wanted to make their hometown more wheelchair-friendly and to raise awareness about the difficulties that people who use wheelchairs face.
These innovators wanted to make their hometown more wheelchair-friendly and to raise awareness about the difficulties that people who use wheelchairs face.
After organising a focus group with people who use wheelchairs, the team identified a lack of awareness of the frustrations and obstacles that wheelchair uses face everyday, such as unauthorised parking in wheelchair spaces.
The team hosted a wheelchair awareness week in their school. They also hosted a ‘Wheel Chair Day’ in Ballina, where they asked local people to use a wheelchair to make their way around the town
The group met with local businesses and politicians to discuss their project. Keen to take a positive approach to the problem, they used messaging that applauded the presence of existing facilities while also advocating the need for improvement and increased awareness.
They have designed a website featuring a detailed map of Ballina highlighting all wheelchair-friendly spots in the town making it easier for wheelchair users to plan their journeys.
They will put forward a motion to the district council to set up a panel of people with disabilities that would assess buildings on how accessible they are.
They received excellent publicity, participating in a discussion on Mid-West Radio that aired to 50,000 people and gained support from local TDs, councillors, and businesses. They also met with the town engineer to discuss the design of future facilities.
Deal with the Wheels has empowered the people of Ballina to make a positive difference to the lives of people who use wheelchairs.
""We were inspired to make a change in our local community because no person should have to experience a time when they are treated unequally." "Deal with the Wheels YSI team
2017
