The Isle of Man’s deaf champion Gareth Foulkes has just accepted a role helping to implement the island’s Disability Discrimination Act.
Mr Foulkes has been appointed as chairman of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) forum, an advisory group set up to guide the Isle of Man government on implementing the Disability Discrimination Act.
He said he was pleased to take on the role and added: ‘The initial task is for the group to agree a timescale for DDA implementation. We will also offer advice around what constitutes a ‘reasonable adjustment’ for disabled people and introduce an award scheme to recognise good practice in disability access from employers and service providers.’
The DDA forum was announced in April’s Tynwald by Social Care Minister Chris Robertshaw and Mr Foulkes said a time scale for implementing the act is to be agreed by the end of the year.
In February this year Mr Foulkes started a two-year term as the island’s deaf champion looking after the rights and well being of deaf people in the island. Speaking at the time, he said: ‘The primary aim is to ensure that deaf people’s life, health and liberty are not put at risk in the Isle of Man through lack of appropriate communication support. For example, sign language interpreters, of which there are none in the Isle of Man.’ Since he arrived Mr Foulkes has been running deaf awareness training courses.
