Government departments and State agencies have been encouraged to make their services more accessible to people with disabilities through a new awards scheme launched by President Mary McAleese yesterday.
The "excellence through accessibility" awards, organised by the National Disability Authority (NDA), aim to reward those who focus on improving accessibility to public services.
The NDA, in consultation with people with disabilities, has developed guidelines and criteria for the award scheme that takes into account access to buildings, customer services and services available over the internet.
President McAleese said attempts to make public services more accessible were important for the estimated 330,000 people who have some form of disability.
She said the efforts of State agencies and Government departments to provide more accessible services would lead to a "cascading" effect in creating an environment that removes barriers facing disabled people.
