Overview
Our Officers are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of their day-to-day work as well as longer-term policy and planning. We hope this page will give a taste of our commitment to working inclusively, including some current practical examples (to be added soon).
We have created a video introduction to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. This video is about five minutes long and you can turn captions on using YouTube if you require them. The video describes our commitment to all people, including in particular those with the characteristics recognised by legislation.
Our EDI Working Group
We have an active and effective Equality, Diversity & Inclusion working group, with representation from across our various teams and work areas, which helps guide and advise the Authority approach on an ongoing basis.
The Group provides a focus for equality, diversity and inclusion issues within the Authority, and raises awareness amongst Officers and Members through practical examples of best practice and updated advice and information. In conjunction with information from the Working Group, Officers and Members are offered regular training in EDI matters, and guests are regularly invited to our working group meetings to speak on a particular issue or to compare good practice.
The Group is chaired by the Head of HR, and our Senior Management Team receives an annual progress report in relation to performance on equality, diversity and inclusion issues.
Our EDI policies
The National Park Authority has an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy.
We also have an Annual Equality Statement and we publish Workforce Data which sets out our commitment to our responsibilities under the public sector Equality Duty.
Impact Assessments are carried out by officers on new policies, programmes and individual pieces of work where appropriate, to ensure full consideration has been given to the likely (or actual) effects of our activities on people in terms of the nine protected characteristics defined in the Equality Act.
A National Park for everyone
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is actively working to make the National Park more inclusive and accessible for underserved groups, enabling them to visit under their own steam. Here are some of the key initiatives:
1. Enhancing Physical Accessibility
- All-Terrain Wheelchairs: In collaboration with the charity Access the Dales, we have introduced all-terrain wheelchairs, such as Tramper scooters available for free hire at various locations including Aysgarth Falls National Park Visitor Centre and Malham National Park Visitor Centre. These enable individuals with mobility challenges to explore rugged terrains independently.
- ‘Miles Without Stiles’ Routes: The park has developed a series of accessible trails known as ‘Miles Without Stiles’, which are suitable for people with limited mobility, including wheelchair users. These routes often feature widened paths and gates replacing traditional stiles
Watch here:
2. Improving Facilities and Infrastructure
- Accessible Toilets: Two Changing Places toilets have been opened in Hawes and Grassington, providing essential facilities for visitors with complex needs.
- Pathway Enhancements: In Malham, kissing gates have been replaced with wide, two-way opening gates, making paths through hay meadows more accessible. Similar improvements are planned for other areas, such as Freeholders’ Wood near Aysgarth Falls.
We recently opened a second fully accessible public toilet and changing facility in the much-visited town of Grassington to complement the toilet at Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes. Read more here.
3. Promoting Inclusive Transportation
- Public Transport Advocacy: Recognising that many visitors rely on private cars, the National Park Authority is advocating for improved public transport services, including better bus and rail connectivity, to make the park more accessible to those without private vehicles.
- DalesBus Support: The Friends of the Dales supports the DalesBus service, which operates on weekends and bank holidays, providing vital links for communities and visitors.
4. Engaging Underserved Communities
- Community Outreach: Initiatives like our Wednesday Wanders offer guided, accessible walks aimed at building confidence among individuals from diverse backgrounds, including women from local community groups.
- Youth Engagement: Programs such as Dales Action Days and Up Skill, Down Dale provide young people, including those from ethnic minorities, with opportunities to engage in conservation projects and gain skills through training and placements.
Recently we ran a guided walk for members of Leeds Deaf Café along the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail & Show Cave. We provided a British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter (Dave Wycherley) who interpreted for the group. This enabled them to access the information boards and to communicate with our staff, volunteers and the cave guides. Watch here:
We recently visited Parcevall Hall Gardens in the Yorkshire Dales National Park with a group from Morley Street Resource Sensory Needs Service in Bradford. This particular group – ‘Cecils Visually Impaired People’ – have their own community garden in Bradford and therefore were interested in looking around Parcevall Hall Gardens to get some inspiration for their own garden, as well as having a great day out accessing nature in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Funded by BMW as part of their Reach Out & Recharge programme. As part of Reach out and Recharge, the Learning and Engagement team is delivering 10 supported days out to the National Park, for people with long-term or limiting conditions and their families. These visits aim to build people’s confidence in accessing and enjoying the National Park, increase their knowledge, skills and confidence outdoors and hopefully empower them to undertake their own trips to the Yorkshire Dales in the future. Watch here:
We also have a lot of safety information for visitors both on our website and on our YouTube channel, some of which has been translated for visitors for whom English is a second language. Watch here:
These efforts reflect the National Park Authority’s commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that the natural beauty of the Yorkshire Dales is accessible to all, regardless of physical ability or background.
Disability Confident
Disability Confident is a national scheme to support employers make the most of the talents people with disabilities can bring to the workplace. Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is a Disability Confident Employer. This means that we are committed to employing, supporting and promoting people with disabilities in the workplace. Being recognised as a Disability Confident Employer means that we are committed to the following, to support us in recruiting and retaining people with disabilities in our employment:
Recruitment:
- We actively look to attract and recruit disabled people
- We provide a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process
- We offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy
- We are flexible when assessing people so disabled job applicants have the best opportunity to demonstrate that they can do the job
- We proactively offer and make reasonable adjustments as required
- We encourage our suppliers and partner firms to be Disability Confident
- We ensure our employees have appropriate disability equality awareness
Retention:
- We promote a culture of being Disability Confident
- We support employees to manage their disabilities or health conditions
- We ensure there are no barriers to the development and progression of staff with disabilities
- We ensure managers are aware of how they can support staff who are sick or absent from work
- We value and listen to feedback from disabled staff
If you would like further information on anything within the current Equality Statement, or you would like to know more about the Working Group, please email the Authority’s Governance & Compliance Officer, Josie O’Dowd.