DEC Housing Ltd’s Post

Spring is here! Make sure your accessible route has not been disrupted with cracks and elevation changes over the winter. And while you're thinking about it, take a look at this article and think about what might need done to make your property more accessible next winter. #LuminaCompliance #AccessibilityMatters #AssetManagementInspections #ADA #Section504 #FairHousing #CapitalNeedsAssessments #FileReviews

This is Urban planning without any thought of Universal Design or Disability Access %& Inclusion. Wide footpaths with no guidance, Sheffield Bikes Stands on the footpath. Which means people cycle on the footpath to get to and leave them. Fact. Obvious too if you understand that people take their desire line. Stopping on the road and walking to the stands would never occur to most people. Look at them anywhere they are on footpaths and watch what happens. This is "Pretty Bot Practical" Urban Planning. Street Hierarchy which says, Pedestrians Safety First, is ignored, and Dmurs, the design regulations ignored. Or else they green wash it, saying it is green so it is all good. That is called Eco Ableism. I had to Google the word as the Greens used to be all socially Inclusive, but have left the disability community behind. If you don't believe me I have dozens of documents to show this. Weird place The Beacon Court Quarter, some really inclusive design, meters away from some Disability Endangering Design. Like part of the team understood Universal Design and the others did not. One side of the road has tactile paving on uncontrolled crossings, the other does not. #UrbanDesignFails #DisabilityInclusion #UNCRPD #CEUD #UniversalDesign

Last week the draft National Urban Policy was announced. This policy has the potential to be critically important in helping shape inclusive sustainable futures for all people in our suburbs, cities, regions - now and our future generations. The policy outlines six Australian government objectives - including No-one and no place left behind and All people belong and are welcome. These objectives are very encouraging. However, the possible actions for the objectives I feel are a little underwhelming. This is particularly the case regarding diversity of people with disabilities and mental health needs across Australian communities and cities. #PlanningForEquity and #PlanningInclusively will be pivotal in the reshaping of Australian suburbs, cities, towns and regions to engender equity, belonging and wellbeing in a rapidly changing world.  And we need key actions for making this happen not just statements. Australian #Disability Communities ensure you have a say by 4 July in this critical policy and suggest actions to be taken. Information below on how you can provide feedback: https://lnkd.in/gkhMeU4M See our Planning Inclusive Communities Change Needed Framework that outlines a raft of key actionables. I am also happy to share/help. https://lnkd.in/gYs3Xaez Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) Ltd AFDO Admin People with Disability Australia (PWDA) First Peoples Disability Network Neda Office Women With Disabilities Australia (WWDA) Children and Young People with Disability Australia Disability Leadership Institute Australian Network for Universal Housing Design El Gibbs Jane Bringolf Sally Robinson Elizabeth Kendall Megan Taylor PLY Trent Henderson Andrew Holmes Akemi Traill David Bailey Matt Novacevski

This simple video says it all: there is a BIG difference between ADA requirements (bare minimum, and many places don’t meet even those) and ACTUAL accessibility. I’ve visited a lot of historic sites in the last few months, and so many of them were 50% or more inaccessible. Some places: I get it. To preserve the structural integrity of a 300-400 year-old building, you can’t change much, but some places, like the replica of the Mayflower or the shops in battleship cove, EVERYONE enters by a ramp anyway. How hard would it be to make the ramp actually accessible (longer so it isn’t as steep). At least then I could say I stepped foot on x, y, or z historic ship/site. #accessibilitymatters #accessforall #disabled #disabilityrights #disability

Booz Allen Hamilton recently conducted a study on Outdoor Recreation that looked at accessible recreation on public lands, with a particular focus on availability of information. At Booz Allen, our work with public land managers and federal agencies has given us awareness of this difficult challenge, particularly about providing accurate and contextual information about campgrounds and campsites. This study helped to put some metrics around how visitors view this challenge, in hopes that Booz Allen could help find technical solutions to support those with disabilities in planning visits to public lands.   This USA TODAY article, written by Kathleen Wong, underscores the need for better information and references this study: https://lnkd.in/gajtYbMm   Booz Allen’s partnerships and expertise could play a key role in creating solutions that ensure visitors can easily find information about accessible opportunities in America’s federal public lands and waters. Success depends on collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to this important issue.   #Accessibility #NationalParks #PublicLands #Inclusion

Buliung, Ron, Jennifer Niece, and Rhonda Solomon. 2024. “Toward an Understanding of Disabled Persons’ Satisfaction with Pedestrian Infrastructure in Toronto, Canada.” Findings, September. The experiences of disabled persons with pedestrian infrastructure (PI) is a human rights, social justice, political, and planning and design issue. We used ordinal logistic regression to study disabled persons’ satisfaction with PI in Toronto, Canada. Disabled people who identify as men and people from higher income households reported greater satisfaction with PI conditions. In rank order, greater contrast in levels of satisfaction appear related to sidewalk conditions, construction zones, and streets and related facilities. https://lnkd.in/gg6ZzAfx.

Whitehorse hit with class action lawsuit. Barriers presented by the city’s alleged inaction and discriminatory policies have caused the plaintiffs to feel like they are second-class citizens. The lawsuit alleges the city is violating the plaintiffs’ rights as described in the Charter of Rights and Freedom’s sections 7 and 15. The sections guarantee all have the right to life, liberty and security of person, as well as the right to equality before the law, respectively. Well done Ramesh and Eva for holding the City accountable for their obligations. 👏🏽 #equalacess #accessiblecanada #barrierfreecanada2040 #accessibility #humanright

Another innovative approach to bring existing building back in to use, to house people with learning disabilities or autism. #UKhousing #housing #supportedhousing #supportedliving #learningdisabilities #autism #lifelineforindependence #development #partnership #strategy

Designing Accessible Parks: What to Focus On? Approximately one in four adults (25.7%) in the United States, or 61 million people, reports living with at least one disability, and some 12. l % of U.S. adults have a mobility disability, making it difficult or impossible to walk or climb stairs, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And disability statistics worsen with age—around 46% of those 75 years and older are living with a disability. While a lot of attention has been given to the need for accessible and inclusive play spaces over the past several years, it is crucial to spread that mission to your entire park, ensuring that people of all ages and abilities have access to the various amenities and activities provided. READ MORE: https://lnkd.in/eBEYhFEq #InclusiveParks, #AccessibleDesign, #ParksForAll, #InclusiveDesign, #UniversalAccessibility, #CommunityParks, #InclusiveSpaces, #ParkDevelopment, #DesignForAll, #PublicSpaces, #UrbanPlanning

I mean, the fact that developing and designing homes for ageing in-place and more accessibility is not already the norm is shocking to me...this should already be the standard. Great article with insights from people with lived experience, discussing their experiences of being in unsuitable, inaccessible homes and the huge benefit national accessibility standards will have on many! Accessible, inclusive homes should be the standard, not the exception.