Unique travel centre for disabled

A ‘FIRST-of-its-kind’ centre has opened in the capital to help people with disabilities become familiar with public transport and teach authorities how to design more accessible services.

It is understood that just 6% of people in Ireland with disabilities use public transport.

The National Transport Authority and Vision Ireland, formerly the National Council for the Blind, showcased the €7.83million Wayfinding Centre yesterday.

It is on the 31,000sq.ft site of the former Smurfit printworks on Botanic Road in Glasnevin and will open to the public in April after six years of construction.

It includes half an Airbus A319 plane, part of a Luas tram, part of a Dart carriage, pathways, cycle lanes, traffic lights, buses and an example of an airport security scanner.

The unique centre aims to give people with access needs the confidence to use public transport through real-world scenarios in a safe environment. It will also give public transport drivers, architects, designers, engineers and students a chance to learn how public services can be made more accessible.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe, and Disabilities Minister Anne Rabbitte attended the launch. ‘It’s a really positive development,’ Ms Rabbitte said, adding that it could be a ‘pedestal’ from which to grow the number of people with disabilities using public transport from 6%.

Mr Donohoe, who is a local TD, said this was ‘a unique centre, not just in Ireland but across the world’. It is understood parliamentarians from other countries attended the event yesterday.

Matt McCann, chief executive and founder of Access Earth, said: ‘The United Nations mentions that we’re going to live about seven to eight years of our lives with some form of disability. ‘Having facilities like this... will essentially benefit everyone into the future.’