Access all areas

Almost a quarter of the Northern Rivers can't access the places most people take for granted, like our beaches, parks and public toilets.

That's a significant chunk of the population, which is why our recent talk A Home for Every-Body was focused on how design impacts people's independence and ability to participate in the community, which should be a growing concern with 24.8% of people in the Northern Rivers living with disability, a whopping 7% above the Australian average.

On the panel to discuss inclusive design and community-led research was Phillippa Carnemolla, a leading researcher of inclusive environments. Zac Misfud, a performer, dancer and musician, who's projects include My Radio Heart, a theatre show with a mixed ability ensemble. And Cath and Andy Graeme-Cook, a local couple who contribute to various committees like the Byron Council Access Consultative Working Group, informed by Andy's experience living with multiple sclerosis.

What does accessibility mean?

A vibrant community is a diverse one. And a diverse community is one where everyone gets to fully participate. Without accessibility, people's basic human rights' aren't realised, because they're unseen. This means everyone misses out on the rich contribution of the elderly and people with disability, which is what's happening right now with one-in-four residents in the Northern Rivers currently impacted.

But what does good design and accessibility mean? A ramp over a gutter? Or handrail in the bathroom? Well, that depends on who you ask, because you'll get radically different answers from an architect, urban planner, and someone with lived experience.

Access to public spaces

Take a public toilet for example. Not a space anyone really wants to access, even the ones designated "accessible" are often a complete horror show for people using a wheelchair, which is why Phillippa Carnemolla collaborated on a highly focused study at UTS recently.

"We were really interested in speaking with people who use wheelchairs about how public bathrooms are actually used," says Phillippa. "And it was really striking what we found. I learnt that the toilet seat, for many people who transfer from a wheelchair, becomes a handrail. And people are viscerally close to the bowl during that process. This means people need to find a good clean toilet, so maintenance became one of the critical aspects of accessibility."

The value of lived experience

This gap between design and reality is something that Andy and Cath Graeme-Cook have been dealing with in the Northern Rivers for the past 22 years, while he's been living with multiple sclerosis and using a wheelchair.

"Inclusive design is done by clever people with great intentions," explains Andy. "But often not by people with lived experience. A classic example is the hospital in Lismore. Everyone has these clever devices, like a vehicle hoist to get them out of their van, but try putting them down on a street that's sloping 45 degrees. Everything goes wrong. Gutters is another. They're nice in parts of town, and I can get up some, but it's often a perilous journey. I came out of my chair once and that was a horrific experience."

Supporting Andy on his journey, from using sticks to walkers to a wheelchair, Cath's always managed to find humour in their situation.

"I remember this local employment agency that was for disability, and it had stairs out the front," recalls Cath. "We just thought that was the funniest thing. We used to laugh about it, but we also started to realise we were now seeing problems other people would walk past all the time."

Home modifications

Then there's housing. Just when you thought the news couldn't get worse for the Northern Rivers, it turns out "affordable" housing typically means narrower and less accessible, so a guy like Andy literally couldn't even get in the front door. It's an easy fix, and some developers and councils are making progress, but too often these design decisions are being made without the right people's input.

"I did my PhD in home modifications, and started doing some advisory work with councils," says Phillippa. "Then I became really interested in who's not in the room on these committees. Often they rely on people being able to volunteer and turn up in a council setting.”

Social accessibility

Zac Misfud's a busy young man. Working for a local joinery company in Lismore, he gets into the gym most days, and somehow, also finds time to be a musician, dancer and performer. Social isolation is a growing problem, especially for people with intellectual disabilities. So, while Zac (very proudly) lives independently, it's taken a little help from his family to ensure he's able to live alone and remain connected to the community.

"The bus stop was really far from his gym," explains Zac's mother. "That's a simple example of how difficult things can be when you don't drive. So, we negotiated to get one closer and that's how he gets to do everything."

"Yeah, that's how I got here today," says Zac, with a grin.

Joining the dots

It's shocking accessibility isn't a bigger issue because it's something that impacts older people too, so it's coming for everyone.

"It's not enough to have an accessible home or shopping centre," says Phillippa. "It's critical our streets and all the connection points are well designed too. It's about understanding diversity within the full breadth of the community and most critically it's about designing with community."

Solutions exist

Thanks to increased community engagement, sharing lived experience, co-designing, and promoting diversity as the cornerstone to a more accessible and inclusive society, progress is being made, and the solutions are often pretty easy to implement.

"What I've been able to show," says Phillippa, "Is small changes to our bathrooms, and front and back doors, can make the difference between requiring support to live independently at home or not. By making these changes, the informal care needed was reduced by almost half.

And not only was it reduced, if you have a well-designed bathroom, it means that family members go from spending time supporting you in daily self-care activities to being able to go outside and hang out."

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Highlights in this article are drawn from our recent talk A Home for Every-body which explored the importance inclusive design. Watch a recording of the talk.