Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council light up Lagan Valley Island and Union Bridge in purple to celebrate International Day of Disabled People

Today, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council are lighting up Lagan Valley Island and Union Bridge in purple to support this annual event.

Mayor, Alderman Amanda Grehan, said:

"My theme for the year, is ‘Inclusivity for disabled people, a city that sees everyone’. It’s about making sure disabled people can engage fully in every part of life.

“The illumination is a reminder of the value and visibility of every individual in our community.”

Cllr Brian Higginson, Chair of Corporate Services, added:

"International Day of Disabled People reminds us of the responsibility we all share to remove barriers, listen to lived experiences, and ensure our services reflect the needs of everyone who calls this city home.”

John Hanna from the disability equality charity Scope said:

"Thank you to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council for celebrating disabled people and highlighting the work we still need to do together to disable barriers to disability equality.

“That’s important because life costs more for disabled people. On average disabled people pay an extra £1,095 per month more to have the same standard of living.

“Finding a job is harder for disabled people. There are around 1 million disabled people who want to work but are denied the opportunity.”