Accessibility still a major issue for disabled

A lack of accessibility continues to hamper the social lives of many disabled people in Ireland, according to the National Disability Authority.

The authority said a survey it carried out found that public transport posed a major problem for people with disabilities.

Spokesperson Eithne Fitzgerald said: "What struck me the most was the lack of independence that people with disabilities have in terms of both public and private transport.

"Forty per cent of people with disabilities are not able to use public transport. In the majority of cases, it's because either they can't get to a bus stop or they can't get on to a bus.

"If you're neither able to drive yourself nor use public transport, you're totally dependent on other people in order to get out of the house."