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Author: LAPWD Staff

Friday 24th September 2021

Make Way Day is a National Public Awareness Campaign that highlights the issues people with disabilities face getting around their local communities. "Hey, this blocks my way!" is the message.   

The theme for this year’s campaign is   

“Make Way in My 5k”  

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We once again take aim at obstacles like cars on the footpath, while taking measures to keep a safe distance. However, with the ongoing COVID pandemic we need to adapt the Make Way Day campaign for this year.  You will be invited to undertake a survey of your area with an online easy-to-use tool designed by the Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) DFI. People will be empowered to give their 5K or area a rating from one to five stars depending on the obstacles they come across. 

There will be a link to the tool on all Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) social media platforms and website on Friday 24thn September. LAPWD will also share the link.

DFI will coordinate all the results and share them with the right people and work together to help solve the problems. 

Thank you for your ongoing support  for Make Way Day, which is vital to the success of the campaign. Make Way Day is a real team undertaking that has a positive impact in achieving local and national recognition of accessibility in our towns and communities.  

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Post a pic of everyday obstructions #MakeWayDay20

About Make Way Day

“Make Way Day” is a campaign that brings the disability and wider community together to consider the needs of people with disabilities in the public spaces we all share.

It is led by the Disability Federation of Ireland and is a unique collaboration across Ireland and the voluntary and local government sectors. But most of all it’s about people with disabilities.

But everyone can get involved. And everyone should get involved because we’ve discovered thoughtlessness is the big issue. We’ve compiled a terrible top three of obstacles that stop people with disabilities in their tracks.

  1. Cars parked on footpaths
  2. Bicycles illegally parked
  3. Bins left on footpaths

The revolution starts with you!

Most people are unaware of the problems these behaviour cause and we’ve found a friendly reminder is enough to get most people to change.

‘Make Way Day’ is not about pointing the finger at local authorities, other agencies or random scattered activism. The whole point of the day is making the public aware of an issue that is fully within their power to change. It’s about One impactful, coordinated and decisive day of action.

Leading the charge are people with disabilities. Local authorities and disability organisations supply removable stickers that are used to mark obstacles. “Hey, this blocks my way!” is our message. So, on 25th September each year obstacles that block the way and complicate the lives of people with disabilities for 365 days of the year are highlighted.

Better yet photos and videos are taken and posted and shared on social media using #MakeWayDay20. Our campaign and campaign video went viral in 2017 and one million people saw and shared posts last year.

Access is the most basic of all disability rights. The public footpaths are for everyone and we can all agree on that. In a wider context this one day focuses the mind on people with disabilities, their lives and needs.

The event will take place this year on Friday September 25th, 2020 with support so far from 29 local authorities, details here, http://makewayday.com/.

The campaign was phenomenally successful last year, reaching over 1,000,000 people on social media and appearing on RTE news bulletins across the day. www.makewayday.com

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In the interest of public and staff safety the Leitrim Association of People With Disabilities (LAPWD) Action Ability Centre in Mohill, will be closed to the public from 5pm Monday 16th March, with the exception of the HSE Community Physiotherapy Service, which will be maintained on a priority basis only.
All our office staff remain working under Best Practice Guidelines. They can be contacted on 071 9651000 or Mobile : 086 3805616

All our Home Support Services remain in place as normal unless instructed otherwise by the HSE.
We wish all our staff, leaders, members and the wider community good health over this worrying time. Mind yourself and each other.

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Dear Member,

In light of the current situation with the Coronavirus, LAPWD has been in contact with the HSE to ensure we are taking all necessary steps to help reduce the spread of the virus.

Enclosed, please find helpful advice designed to provide you with information regarding the virus itself and the actions you should take to help prevent the spread of the virus.

As you will see the main preventative action recommended is effective hand washing. We have also communicated to all our Leaders regarding the actions required to minimise the spread of the virus.

The symptoms of the coronavirus are:

  • A cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Fever (high temperature)

If you have symptoms associated with the Coronavirus, are diagnosed with the virus, or have been in direct contact with somebody who has been diagnosed with the virus, please ensure that you make contact with your GP by phone immediately. Also please make contact by phone with the LAPWD Manager as a matter of urgency.

We wish to assure you that LAPWD will follow the advice and guidance of the HSE with regards to delivering services and supporting service users during this time. As this is a fast-moving situation LAPWD will continue to monitor the situation and provide you with further advice and updates, as and when required.

Please Contact the HSE website for any other information www.hse.ie

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