COUNCIL chiefs are set to dig deep to help the disabled - weeks after an Evening Press probe highlighted poor wheelchair access in the city.

On Monday, councillors will discuss spending more than £500,000 to make sure civic buildings have good disabled entrances.

The authority hopes to make 75 per cent of its buildings accessible to disabled people by April 2006.

Councillors will be asked to agree to prioritise upgrades, so buildings needing a small amount of work to bring them up to the required standard - or those already undergoing structural change - are first on the list.

But officers warned it may not be possible to make 100 per cent of council offices accessible - particularly if they are listed buildings.

News of the cash injection was today welcomed by York disability campaigner Lynn Jeffries.

But she called on the council to review its planning regime, and promote "joined-up thinking" when overseeing disabled access.

In April, Lynn took part in the Evening Press investigation into shop access for wheelchairs in the city centre. It highlighted how several national firms, including leading high street stores, were still not providing access for wheelchair users.

Lynn said today: "It's fantastic that the council has got this money and the intentions are right.

"But it should use some of it to train officers as to what inclusive design access really means. The building control and planning departments should work together and show a bit of joined-up thinking."

Lynn said a recent example of this was a shop which spent £60,000 on a revamp, including disabled toilet facilities - yet still had a step at the entrance.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), businesses have to consider making reasonable adjustments to the way they deliver services so disabled people can use them. This can include physical changes to premises.

LYNN Jeffries has campaigned to get companies to adapt to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). She runs her own access consultancy firm, JD Associates - and toured York during the Evening Press investigation in April to see what difference DDA had made. She found many buildings were not accessible for her electric wheelchair.

In the wake of today's council cash boost, we re-visited two shops and asked what disabled-friendly changes they had made in recent months.

In April, Fillans jeweller, Stonegate, had two steps at the front door and another inside the shop. "We've had a ramp made," said assistant manager Carol Gilleard today. "No one has used it, though."

Three months ago, Jon Barrie, in Parliament Street, had a foot high step at the door.

"We've got a ramp now," said assistant manager Lee Atkinson today. "We've had it a couple of weeks, although nobody has used it."

Updated: 09:55 Saturday, July 16, 2005