This is the transcript to the podcast interview with Councillor Judith Rowley, when she was Disabled People's Champion in 2006/7:
Introduction
OV:I'd like to welcome Cllr judith rowley to OV's second podcast. welcome councillor!
CLLR: thankyou kären
Question 1
You've been elected as the council's disabled people's champion, tell us a bit about how that came about and what your role is
CLLR Yes, Thankyou. i'm very pleased and very proud indeed to have been chosen to be the Wolverhampton City Council's Disabled People's Champion. The City Council have a number of member champions from both the controlling Labour group, and the opposition.Their policy areas are those which cut accross the whole of the council's work. For example, there's a children's champion,a champion for design quality, and one for sustainability, just to quote one or two. Until this municipal year there was an equalities champion - this is such a huge and vital, important area of work that this has been divided up into 3 champion roles: gender, race and disability.
A champion's role is to highlight the importance of their area of work, - if you like, to fly the flag, to raise the profile within the City Council and further afield as well... the council does not work in isolation, but works in partnership with others, such as the University, the royal hospitals Trust, the Primary Care Trust, and Centro, to quote a few. I have to stress that the role is not a decision-making role like that of a cabinet member, but one that raises awareness.
I am used to being a Champion in the City Council, because over the last 3 years i have done the sustainability role.
Question 2
One of your recent initiatives has been the Disability Access Partnership - can you tell us what that is all about, and what you hope it achieves?
CLLR: Yes,when i took up my new post in may 2006, having been used to the role of member championing,I very soon identified the need for a new body - the disability access partnership. the idea is that Im, as chair, call together key officers of the council, and Cabinet members, and representatives of disability interest groups to make things happen ... to make a difference. the remit of this forum is to imporve the involvement of disabled people in the planning and development of policies and practices which impact on planning, the built environment, and wider access issues.Also to raise concerns or consult on related issues within the council's disability Equality Scheme action plan. the remit also includes to monitor progress on the plan, and (finally) to recommend through it's chair, which is myself, actions that would assist the council to fulfill its duty to address inequalities faced by disabled people and promote disability equality.
One very positive outcome has already been to restore the 2 disabled parking spaces, and create a further space outside the Arena Theatre in wulfruna Street.
Question 3
what other things are you hoping to do in your role as disabled people's champion?
CLLR:One priority has to be to ensure that all stakeholders understand the council's commitment to promoting disability equality. Oone real example of partnership working is that the city council's disability equality scheme was launched in partnership with the Wolverhampton University's scheme.
another hugely important role is to ensure that the disability Equality Scheme's action plan is implemented. i am working with fellow councillors, officers and partners and of course local disabled people, to monitor the delivery to ensure that a difference is to be made.
as i said earlier, just ensuring that a high profile is given to disability equality, i can engage with groups like one voice and the wolverhampton's disability network,I can visit community forums, and get messages accross in the local media.
Question 4
As one voice's councilor you've always made yourself accessible to one voice members - is there any way disabled people in general can contact you about their issues and concerns, in your role as disabled people's chamion?
CLLR: Yes, if anybody would like to contact me, there are a number of waysthey can do that.
If you have email you can email me at: judith.rowley@wolverhampton.gov.uk, or see me in person by appointment at the civic centre, or write to me addresed to the civic Centre, St peter's Square, wolverhampton
Question 5
Wolverhampton has been at the forefront with some disability friendly initiatives like Shop Mobility,but has also made some decisions that disabled people feel have had a negative impact on their lives, like cobbling the city centre. How do you see your role in terms of these types of decisions in the future?
CLLR: Thankyou for that question Kären. Yes, i agree there have been some very positive outcomes for disabled people and shopmobility is certainly one of them, and also regionally we're very pleased with our free travel scheme which is administrated through Centro. To ensure that policies in the future are positive, the Disability Equality Scheme now gives us the opportunityto do what we call equalities impact assessments when bringing forward policy changes. These assessments apply to capital schemes such as building projects, and it is through these assessments that we can seek the input of people from the community.
OV: So people will have more of an opportunity to have a say in the decisions that are being made, through you in effect?
CLLR: yes that's the whole idea of the scheme.
Question 6
Can you tell us about 3 improvements you'd like to see in Wolverhampton while you are our disabled people's champion?
CLLR:
Yes, firstly I would like to see an increased invovlement of disabled people in the decison making process - it is through invovlment that decisions can be prescribed to support the needs of people like yourselves.
Secondly I would like to see better communication amongst service providers, and with those disabled people who wish to use a specific service.
Question 7
Is there anything you'd like to say to disabled citizens?