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Council Continues To Improve Access For All Residents And Visitors By raising people’s awareness, the community can break down the handicapping barriers By David Wall - 4th June 2002 - Back to News What if the world was designed and run by people in wheel chairs? What if people with disabilities were the norm? What if the ‘able bodied’ were the exception, the ones for whom charities were formed and special arrangements had to be made?
These were just some of the challenging questions raised by Anthony Nichols and Joe Manton of Access Audits Australia at workshops run for Bass Coast Shire Council staff on Wednesday, 29 May 2002.
But, as Anthony and Joe pointed out, there is a sense in which being disabled is the norm. At any given time about 20% of the population has a disability. If those with injuries, illnesses and other temporary disabilities are taken into account, that number rises to 35%. Virtually all people will suffer from a disability at some stage – if only as a normal result of the aging process.
Anthony reflected on his own experience as a father, worker, home owner, rate payer, resident, St Kilda supporter – oh, and as a person with Cerebal Palsy - to show that people with disabilities are members of the community with a wide range of interests.
The staff workshops were conducted as part of the Bass Coast Shire Council’s Disability Action Plan and were coordinated by Kathryn Prior, RuralAccess Project Worker for Bass Coast and South Gippsland Shires. The RuralAccess Initiative is funded by the Department of Human Services and supported by the Gippsland Local Government Network. RuralAccess is about communities working together to support and include people with a disability and their families in all aspects of community life.
The workshops gave staff from all areas of Council an opportunity to examine the ways in which access can be improved for all residents and visitors.
South Gippsland and Bass Coast Shires’ RuralAccess Worker, Kathryn Prior believes that Disability Awareness Training is extremely important for the whole community.
"By raising people’s awareness about access issues, the community can work together to break down the handicapping barriers, enabling people with disabilities and their families to participate more fully in community life and in turn increasing access for the whole community."
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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