Why is Access important?
When building and designing community spaces, it is important to consider how the space is accessed by everyone, regardless of their abilities. Approximately one in five (four million) people in Australia have specific access requirements, a number that is only rising with the number of people aged 65 and over increasing dramatically. 6% of our Australian population have a severe or profound disability and 12% of our population act as as carers for those with a disability.
With such a significant number of people affected in some way or another by disability, being able to interact with, and access the build environment in our communities is important for a number of reasons that can include:
- Reduced social isolation of people with a disability, their families and carers
- Increased mental and physical health outcomes
- Higher business patronage
- Increased employment participation
- No need to modify the space over time
- Eliminates potential cost of later modifications
- Reduced risk of complaints or discrimination claims
- Facilitating equal opportunities increases public perception of space
