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Meet our panel members here. We include information about their experience, both professional and personal, and what their own access needs are so you know what to expect when they visit. OUR SURVEYORS Find information on who we are, our backgrounds and relevant experience, and things to know before we visit your building. All our surveyors have received the same training and all surveys include the same questions. John Gladstone John is based in Gwynedd and is a committed advocate for inclusive outdoor access that supports health and wellbeing. He is a member of the Eryri National Park Authority and the Arfon Dwyfor Land Access Forum, and currently serves as Chair of Mynediad Arfon Access. A former Director of Disability Wales, he brings governance and public sector board experience alongside a professional background in training and development. A wheelchair user for over 20 years, John combines lived experience with strategic leadership in access and inclusion. Sarah Thomas I have worked with and for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities of North Wales for over 25 years. I am a proficient BSL signer and am currently training to become an interpreter. In my time working for COS, I have introduced projects that have empowered members of our community to access information that enables them to make informed decisions rather than be reliant on family or professionals to make them. I am a keen traveller (as suggested by my choice of photo) and am looking forward to exploring more destinations over the next few years with Canada and New Zealand in my sights. Nia Harrison I came to advocacy in 2017 after previously working for the local authority as I wanted to help represent people from marignalised communities that were experiencing barriers in day to day life. I have a dynamic disability which affects my mobility; I also experience chronic pain, depression and I am a medical cannabis patient. I am also awaiting assessment for neurodivergence and am a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I am new to conducting Access Surveys but it has always been something I have wanted to get become involved in, as access barriers are something I experience in my day to day life which often prevent me from living my life the way I want. I have studied BSL up to Level 3 and previously played wheelchair basketball for North Wales. How best to work with me: I describe myself as Disabled, always with a capital D, and am happy for others to refer to me in this way. I use a variety of mobility aids including wheelchairs and therefore require wheelchair access and a disabled toilet wherever possible. Please provide clear information and direction with context as much as possible, I will ask for further clarification where needed; please also give me time to process verbal information, I experience brain fog regularly. Nia Greer I am vision impaired and have been since birth. I am registered as SSI (Severely Sight Impaired) and have useful vision. I am blind in one eye and short sighted in the other. I have worked in the sight loss sector for 12 years both delivering services and now managing services. I encounter accessibility barriers on a daily basis both digital barriers and when visiting venues. I understand the frustrations and challenges but also have a knowledge of adjustments and adaptions that can make our society inclusive for vision impaired people. I was twice part of a larger team to conduct accessibility surveys of National Trust sites but focussed only on VI related barriers. How best to work with me: Here are just a few things that will really help me - All digital communications/documents - size 18, Arial - All paper communication – size 24, Arial - If there are images please describe this as much as possible - Please use colour contrast colour schemes I don’t recognise faces so it is really useful if you introduce yourself when I see you each time Karen Beattie I have been a disabled advocate and campaigner since a road traffic accident in 1995 after which I became a wheelchair user. In 1996 I worked closely with case officers and the Disability Rights Commission providing support to disabled people challenging organisations after experiencing discrimination. After forming the voluntary organisation, Denbighshire Access Group in 1998 and working with council planning officers and national organisations, for many years, we were able to influence and provide guidance and Disability Equality Training to architects, Transport for Wales, businesses large and small including Welsh Government, NHS, Local Authorities, schools, universities and the Voluntary Sector. For 12 years I was the local authority Access and Equality Officer where I implemented a number of policies and documents including their first Strategic Equality Plan, Equality Impact Assessment Procedure, Supplementary Planning Guidance Access for All, Consultation and Engagement procedure and a number of policies and advisory documents. I’d like to think I’ve encouraged positive change by having a voice on a number of committees, partnership boards and stakeholder groups over the last 30 years. I believe in the ethos of ‘Nothing About Us without Us’ and follow the Social Model of Disability. Disability Rights have come a long way but even with legislation there is still more to do to see genuine equality and inclusivity in Government and our communities – so I continue to campaign, educate and challenge for change. Cathy Jackson Previously a Changing Places campaigner whilst leading a charity made to create an accessible play area, Cathy is enthusiastic about making places as accessible as possible for as many people as possible. Drawing on her own sensory needs as well as her awareness of spatial access requirements, she is delighted to be able to work with the Panel. Julian Morgan

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Physical disability? Sensory? Or neurological? Whatever the impairment, our mission is to make as many places in North Wales as accessible as possible. Our mission as an organisation is to make as many places in North Wales as accessible as we can. That means public places, buildings, and spaces where people socialise, work or access services. We conduct surveys to ascertain what, if anything, could make a building more accessible. For more information on how we work, please explore the menu at the top of the site. You can also click "Search" here, to search the entire site, or click the button below to browse completed surveys Search Completed Surveys Panel Member Log In

Our Setup The group was created in early 2025 We started carrying out surveys in July 2025 We are being funded for two years by the Community Cohesion Fund The Panel is made up of several disability organisations and disabled individuals, representing many different disabilities We are all interested in making North Wales buildings easy to use, by everyone who might use them Surveys are carried out in a way that ensures services are accessible by everyone

What is the North Wales Access Panel? Our group represents many types of disability We're working with Betsi Cadwaladr and COS More about our Setup We're working to ensure we can all access what we need, whilst raising awareness of disability issues, to make North Wales accessible to everyone We have a small list of buildings we want to survey. If you would like us to add a building to the list, please click here , or to see which surveys have already been completed please click here

Add your building to the list of surveys we're planning to do. If you work in a place you think would benefit from an accessibility check, let us know here Requesting a Survey We'd like a free survey - is our building is as accessible as it can be? Our organisation name is: Our building is here: Which service(s) is (are) provided here? Website, if available This will be very useful for our surveyors before we make contact or carry out a survey The main contact for this survey will be: First name Last name We're happy to get your newsletter, but no spam please Send email to: Phone number Our contact preference is: Email Phone call Text message Other Leave us a note if you wish: For example, how is your building used? Are there any particular areas you would like addressed? Submit

If you've visited - or tried to visit - a building or area that was difficult to use or get to, let us know here. We will add that place to our list of surveys, and start the process as soon as we can Nominating a Building Building name Address Please provide the address if you can Have you visited this place? Is your nomination based on an experience here? Notes for our surveyors Please note any areas or aspects of the building you'd like us to check on Submit

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What is the Social Model? Why is it important? The Social Model of Disability The North Wales Access Panel is committed to working through the Social Model of Disability, which is the understanding that disability is created by society . Disabled people face barriers that stop them from taking part in society in the same way as non-disabled people can. There are a range of these barriers, for example: A sign that someone with a visual impairment can’t see or read An inaccessible building without wheelchair ramps A webpage with flashing animations that could trigger a seizure Social barriers or attitudinal barriers, like stereotypical beliefs that non-disabled people have about disabled people... Assuming that a disabled person “can’t do” something creates a barrier for that person The medical model, which is traditionally used by many services, suggests that people are disabled because of impairments or conditions that they have. The social model recognises that from a disabled person’s perspective, the problems they face are the barriers they experience in society. Disability isn’t something that exists inside your body or your mind. It’s something that is created by an inaccessible society; the experience of not being able to take part in society because of barriers you face with your impairment. Disability and impairment are not the same thing. An impairment is a functional difficulty someone experiences in their body or mind. If you have a hearing impairment, for example, you might need sounds to be louder for you to hear them, or you may not be able to hear them at all.

Questions about accessibility? We've heard a few... !

Quick, printable signs and checklists that you can use yourself, straight away. Want more information? We're building a catalogue of links to excellent sources, including those who share their experience as disabled people. Resources Downloadables, printables and links to help you BSL available sign Printable sign to show that communication in BSL is available Blue Disabled Toilet sign Printable sign in the correct style and colours to meet current guidelines