What is the significance of accessible infrastructure?
Accessible infrastructure plays an important role in creating inclusive communities where everyone can participate safely, independently and with confidence.
It includes the everyday features that help people move through and access their local area, such as:
- Accessible parking: Parking bays with extra width and a shared zone beside them, so people using wheelchairs or other mobility aids can get in and out of a vehicle.
- Footpaths: Continuous, even paths without steps, gaps or obstructions.
- Kerb ramps: Short sloped sections that remove the step between a footpath and the road.
- Pedestrian crossings: Marked or signalised places to cross the road, with features like kerb ramps, tactile indicators and audible, vibrating push buttons.
While these features may go unnoticed by many people, they can have a significant impact on the daily life of people with disability.
For example, for someone who uses a wheelchair, mobility scooter or other mobility aid, a missing kerb ramp, an uneven footpath or a steep ramp can turn in a simple journey into a significant challenge. The ripple effect of these sorts of barries can extend to how a person is able to access work, education, healthcare, and community activities.
When infrastructure is designed and maintained with accessibility in mind, people are better able to move through their community, connect with others and participate in the activities that matter to them. Accessible infrastructure not only benefits people with disability, but also older Australians, parents using prams and anyone who may face mobility challenges at different stages of life.
The role of local councils in creating accessible communities
In Australia, local government, or councils, play an important role in creating and maintaining accessible communities. They are responsible for much of the public local infrastructure that people use every day.
As opposed to state government, local councils are responsible for waste management, local roads and footpaths, parks and recreation and town planning. It’s important to know the difference when you’re raising an issue in your community.
Many councils also have a formal plan that sets out how they will improve access and inclusion. What this plan is called depends on the state or territory. Common names include Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) and Disability Action Plan (DAP).
These plans help councils identify priorities, plan improvements and work towards creating more accessible communities. Importantly, they are informed by the experiences and feedback of people with disability, recognising that lived experience plays an essential role in identifying barriers and opportunities for change.
How community advocacy improves accessibility
While local councils are responsible for maintaining public infrastructure, community members are often the first to notice accessibility barriers in their neighbourhoods. This is where advocacy can make a real difference.
By raising concerns and sharing their experiences, residents can help councils identify issues, priorities improvements and create more accessible communities. Whether it’s a damaged footpath, a steep ramp, or missing kerb cuts, community feedback can help drive meaningful local change.
There are several ways to raise concerns about accessibility in your local area, including:
- Reporting an issue via your local council website.
- Utilising the Snap, Send, Solve app, which is a free tool available for people in Australia and New Zealand designed to make it easy to raise local issues.
- Attend in-person, council led meetings. Check your local council’s website for more information.
- Contacting your Local Member of Parliament (MP) on the Office of Local Government website.
How to get involved with SCIA Advocacy
At SCIA, our Representative Advocacy team supports people with disability to raise issues that affect their daily lives and communities. Through initiatives such as the Advocacy Community Network (ACN) Meet & Greets, people can connect with others, share experiences and discuss common accessibility challenges, including local infrastructure, public transport, community access, and more.
Some of the ACN’s accomplished include:
- Contacting Liverpool council to improve the local pedestrian crossing.
- Parramatta Council has added new signage to identify accessible toilets at the Lake Parramatta.
- Footpath concerns in North Rocks, have been fixed by Parramatta City Council using the Snap, Send and Solve App.
To learn more about how community members can help create positive local change, explore Representative Advocacy’s five-part series about how you can make Local Change. In the series, members of the advocacy community share their experiences of identifying barriers, speaking up and working with others to improve accessibility in their local communities.
Video 4: Raise and Report Issues That Impact You
Working together to create more accessible communities
Accessible infrastructure helps create safer, more inclusive communities where everyone can participate, connect and thrive. By continuing to identify barriers and work towards practical solutions, we can help build communities that work better for everyone.
Author
This piece was written by Nabila Laskar, SCIA Representative Advocacy Volunteer and Volunteer Content Creator.
