Waterford City and County Council are one of 25 local authorities supporting local disabilities groups as they hit the streets today with friendly reminders not to:
Park on the footpath
Forget your bins (or use illegal sandwich boards)
Carelessly park bikes on the street

Sean Rohan from the Waterford Disability Network says they have examples of the problem across the city and county.

He says “At the church out in Lisduggan, we get photos sent into us every week by different people that the cars are on the footpath
on both sides of the road, so if you are in a wheelchair or you are pushing a pram, if you are an elderly person with a walking frame you have to either go
onto the grass or go onto the main road to get past the cars.
Another example is the beautiful walk down to the Strand Hotel in Dunmore East completely ruined by one car parked on the footpath.”

Assistant Commissioner for Roads Policing, Dave Sheahan says “Someone in a powered wheelchair has to either go home
or risk their lives on the public road to get around a parked vehicle on a path. Neither outcome is acceptable to the Gardaí,”

“Make Way Day is a chance for all of us to reflex on the needs of people with disabilities in our communities. The Garda Roads Division will increase their vigilance and lower their tolerance of footpath parking for all 365 days of the year in support of the campaign”, said Commissioner Sheahan.

“Our vision is an Ireland where it’s as socially unacceptable to park on the footpath as is it to smoke indoors,” said DFI spokesperson Clare Cronin. Once people are aware of the huge problems they cause people with disabilities, we find they’re willing to change. For the small minority who aren’t, there is the Gardaí and the local authorities”, she said.

Today people who are frustrated, delayed and blocked all year willgo out with Make Way Day stickers.

The low-adhesive stickers are friendly reminders to consider the needs of over 13% of the population have disabilities.

PHOTO was taken last week in Waterford City.   This was just one of the cars blocking this wheelchair user on the road.