Wheelchair users to get Assembly access

WHEELCHAIR users will soon be able to access States meetings.

During an open States Assembly and Constitution Committee meeting held yesterday, chairman Matt Fallaize suggested that it wrote to States Property Services, a division of Treasury and Resources, asking if it would be prepared to come up with a plan, including costings, of how wheelchair users could be accommodated in the public gallery of the Royal Court.

But in the meantime, the committee agreed that if a wheelchair user wanted to watch the States' deliberations they could do so by sitting at the back of the chamber, next to Deputy Lester Queripel.

'It isn't ideal for a wheelchair user or the States representative to sit next to each other - there should be a degree of separation,' said Deputy Fallaize.

'The committee would be keen on rearranging the public gallery but that will take time.'