A charity which assesses construction plans to ensure they meet disability access requirements will be "decimated" by budget cuts later this month, it has claimed.
Disability Action says that it will no longer be able to examine planning applications or to provide advice for disabled people experiencing discrimination, after being notified by the Planning Service of forthcoming cuts at the end of September.
Following discussions with Environment Minister Edwin Poots the group says 25% of its original funding has been reinstated, but the service has nevertheless been "decimated".
The charity, which assessed 500 planning applications and dealt with 1,400 enquiries last year, says its goal is working towards the provision of a "universally accessible" built environment.
Orla McCann, Access Manager for Disability Action, says the withdrawal of funds will mean new buildings will fail to meet the needs of disabled users.
"Without our intervention in planning applications, new developments will fail to meet the needs of all disabled people," she said.
"Building regulations require only a minimum standard of access and focus on physical and sensory disabilities whereas Disability Action takes a pan-disability focus and advises on access provision for all disabled people."
Disability Action's 'access team', which is made up of professionals from a range of disciplines including architecture, building and landscaping, are employed to challenge planners to embrace the highest access provision for all disabled people
They also audit existing premises to give advice on how accessabiluty can be further improved.
The charity says its research has shown that a high percentage of disabled people experience access discrimination on a regular basis.
It says a survey of 200 people in June showed that 81.25% of disabled people had experienced a problem with access and 43.75% said they experienced problems "all the time".
It says that most service providers will only consider the needs of wheelchair users when thinking of the accessibility of their premises, while wheelchair users make up only some 4% of disabled people.
Ms McCann continued: "Physical access is fundamental to the lives of disabled people. If streets and buildings are not accessible disabled people are robbed of their independence in terms of education, employment, social, cultural and public life and become even more socially excluded."
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