Disabled access in parks & public recreation areas
Public recreation areas such as parks, playing fields, swimming pools, gymnasiums, indoor sports centres and the like were not originally designed or built to provide disabled access into and within all facilities.
The Commonwealth Disabilities Discrimination Act provides the guiding principles to provide equal access to all disabled persons no matter what type of disability is involved.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC) provides the forum to have existing disabled access discrimination problems removed.
Most publicly owned facilities have carried out disabled access audits to the recreation grounds and undertaken structural alterations to provide wheelchair access, ramps and landings, doorway widths, continuous travel paths, wide corridors, parking spaces and garages, lighting, alarm systems and elevators.
Principal Consultant of Australian Disabled Access Consultants said, “All recreation areas must provide and maintain disabled access and related facilities.
“Owners and property managers should ensure that audits are regularly carried out to ensure that disabled access and related facilities are provided at all times to comply with Australian Standards, local Council guidelines and the Building Code of Australia.”
25-Jan-2007