Pushing for better disabled inclusion

AS we move towards COVID normal, the Central Highlands peak body representing people with disability is calling for businesses to retain changes that allow for more inclusivity and accessibility.

While the pandemic changed the way many of us conduct business, the Central Highlands Inclusion Working Group original convenor Frances Riggs said she is hopeful some of these changes endure.

“Businesses and organisations have changed the way that they deliver their services which has meant that people with disability can experience the community for the better,” she said.

“Changes like online ordering, home delivery services, telehealth and more space in our shops and cafes, that’s wasn’t there before but is now because they’ve had to create the spaces.

“It’s important for us to take on board that a person with a disability is benefitting from those changes and we need to look forward to ways we can be more inclusive and accessible.”

The Central Highlands Inclusion Working Group is a coalition of people with either a lived experience of disability, active advocates, councillors, or organisations looking to improve services and facilities for those with disabilities.

To identify ways to improve operations, the inclusion group also offers businesses a self-assessment tool used to review premises, facilities and staff training which Ms Riggs said is a good first step in understanding how inclusive and accessible your business is.

“It’s a judgement free survey which gets you to consider if you have accessible toilets, ramps, thoroughfares, whether staff knows how to support someone with a disability,” she said.

“The self-assessment allows people to self-reflect on how accessible and inclusive they are and what areas can be improved and we can assist them to work that through to get some improvements.

“We can help people find out some practical low-cost ways of being more inclusive including online participation options, home delivery, telehealth, information in larger font, staff training and accessible parking and toilets.”

On behalf of the current working group convenor Tamara Downey, Ms Riggs said the group’s on-going goal is to work with organisations and community groups and achieve greater rates of inclusion.

“We know most businesses want to be inclusive of people with a disability but don’t know how, or how to do it well,” she said.

“There’s a number of people with disabilities in our community who are being excluded and it’s up to us to change that.”

Another of the working group convenors and a member of the disabled community Kirsten Holden added, “this work highlights the importance of including everyone in the community because you can’t have a community without everybody.

“To be able to see some development and commitment from the community on this front would be great.”