Editorial
About the Author
My name is Stephen Brown and I have been living with Motor Neurone Disease for twenty years, five of those in a wheelchair – five as a wheelie. I am married and my wife is my full-time carer, a role that puts enormous demands on her time.
I have been involved over the years with many community groups and government and non-government agencies, including the Motor Neurone Disease Association of WA.
I am a strong believer that despite the hurdles placed before us people with disabilities must still get out and participate in life.
Comment
It would be remiss of me and certainly out of character not to comment on the disabled access issue further. Just the hurdles I faced launching this project emphasize the need for more action.
When my research began I soon discovered that disabled access can have a cavernous gap between good and bad as to what access is available. I discovered that some of the venues advertised as disabled friendly were in fact not or only partly. This discovery at a venue for a couple going out can destroy a holiday or a night out. As my wife says, ‘The wrong information is worse than no information.’
It also became apparent to me that some of the city, local government and architectural disabled access and amenities planning could be best described as moronic or lip service. It was frustrating to see new car parking built with Acrod bays, but with no ramp to get up to the footpath, or new toilets with door locking devices you had to be Houdini to operate. Also, some of the venues became quite defensive when I asked to see their disabled amenities, indicating a complete lack of confidence in what they had to offer.
It all begs the questions as to where are they getting their disabled access policy and guidelines from or are they serious about it. I can only reckon that the government is not providing enough accurate and useful guidelines, or not promoting it enough. Do they consult the right people, the disabled? In this day and age it really is not good enough.
I must, however, acknowledge the businesses and agencies doing positive things for disabled access out there. There are a few.
