Dear All
I thought you might be interested in this:
Colin B
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NEWS SUBMISSION
Failure to find 2005 National Disabled Conference Venue
In a shocking admission of national failure to address DDA access issues, TUC Disability Conference delegates were given the news that there is no suitable venue in the UK to host the 2005 two day TUC Disability Conference.
Only two months before DDA Access to goods and services becomes fact, the one day Disability Conference held at TUC Congress House on Friday 23 July was advised that the TUC had contacted and reviewed all major conference venues and 'it is regretted that none of them can currently provide what is needed for this event - a fully accessible venue, with enough suitable bedrooms within the host resort / town.'
Historically recognised conference centres such as Blackpool, Brighton, Bournemouth and Scarborough cannot fulfil the needs of disabled people at such an event until at least 2007.
Major cities such as Manchester, Birmingham Sheffield and York cannot offer the Disabled conference any financial support package which major conferences normally expect.
Stephen Brookes, Chair, NUJ Disabled Members Council and disability Journalist and researcher was appalled by the news.
'I live in Blackpool, and to find that my home town which has always been in the forefront for national conferences has no suitable venue is just not acceptable.'
While recognising that the news reflected a national failure, Stephen nevertheless was unhappy at the status of his home town.
'Last year a similar conference was held in Blackpool, in a new hotel, and it failed to address the accessible needs of disabled people. But nationally the truth is that no one has taken the basic needs of DDA95 into consideration, or recognised that they have had 9 years to come to terms with the fact that disabled people have legal rights. It is just not good enough.'
The TUC is undertaking a campaign to challenge the hotel industry and local authorities to provide greater numbers of accessible rooms and facilities for business use by disabled people and organisations.
'After all' said Stephen 'there are 10 million disabled people, and they all spend money at the conferences, so to ignore that is financial suicide anyway.'
end. DDA and DisConf.
Call Stephen Brookes on 01253 594114 for further details.
Stephen Brookes
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