Belfast City
Council:
- arranges short term unpaid work experience placements for young people and
adults with a range of disabilities
- is represented on NI Business and Education Partnership's Belfast Special
Schools Group and has participated in their Careers Days
- is represented on the Cedar Foundation 's Employer Forum
- has provided interview skills training for young people with learning disabilities
and adults with mental health problems
- provides disability awareness training for all employees; this training
is being extended to include general sensitivity and etiquette
- supports employees who wish to train as sign language interpreters
- on request, will provide its Equality Scheme and related documents in other
formats eg Braille, disk
- notifies the Disability Advisory Service of all job vacancies
- gives information to potential job applicants on how to find out about reasonable
adjustments for the recruitment process
- states in job advertisements that information is available in other formats
- job application forms can be requested by email and job details can be downloaded
from the Council's website
- when shortlisting, applies the essential criteria and waives the desirable
criteria for persons with disabilities
- set up a DDA Group to ensure a corporate approach to the 2004 requirements
- has adopted BS 8300 as the standard to which new buildings and renovations
will be constructed
- access audits of all Council properties are underway and works programmed
to make physical adjustments; these audits have been extended to include all
S75 categories; those involved have been trained in the ethos of Universal
Accessibility
- has held a Focus Group meeting on its approach to its 2004 responsibilities;
another such meeting is planned
- has a central textphone; the Waterfront Hall Booking Office also has one
- will review signage to and within its properties; pictorial signs will be
considered
- won a William Keown Access Award for the City Hall in 2002